What do you use databases for?

[Todor Velikov]

Hello everyone, I have been using databases with my team for about 2 years now. I am curious to explore more use-cases out there.

I will start with what is probably my most complex one:

I made a  database that tracks every page in a knowledge base space. All entries are split in multiple views with label-based filters, which allows me to filter content per topic and hand it out (e.g. export current view and send it away), it also lets me bulk-edit labels if it such thing is required.

Entries are also sorted by status - keeping "In Progress" and "Needs review" always on top. The inline comments in databases feature has been a game-changer for this one in particular as it allows us to keep track of 200+ items such as  articles, guides, project documentation, reports etc.

I also have a few databases that I use as calendars but this post is already long enough.

So, how do you use Confluence databases? I would love to read about your setups and maybe we can exchange some tips.

[Jason Hills]

My use cases:

media asset library

• track media assets through the publishing cycle so you know what image came from where with what copyrigth status.

documentation library

• use Confluence as a front-end for Sharepoint repositories, since it has vastly better data collation and presentation abilities.

ITSM Report Tracking

• Track the 300+ reports we maintain, including all data governance, ownership, lifecycle, etc.

Implement a Normative Data Catalog

• When we're ready to onboard a data management tool, we have a normative listing of our data objects with the metadata tagging they should have. Given that a Confluence database exports as CSV, we can feed it into a MDM tool when we're ready.

[thomas_ohrbom]

How do you setup a database as a front-end for SharePoint repository? Do you manually add links for each SharePoint foler or file?

[Jason Hills]

Yes.

For a limited number of files, it works well. It's also a prerequisite for use as a media assets library. Sharepoint is terrible for doing this task, for while it can do it, and it's much harder to do and with a subpar interface.

[Todor Velikov]

On the topic of media assets, I do something similar with a "Video Library" database - I link to sharepoint video files in a Card Layout database. I also add views to filter by tags (topics) and this is much easier to do in databases, comparing the process to customizing a SharePoint site.

[thomas_ohrbom]

We have also been using Confluence Databases extensively for the past year or so. Here are some of our use cases.

Statement of Applicability (SoA)

• We are certified according to ISO 9001, ISO 14001 and ISO 27001 and use Databases to document our corresponding SoAs
• We link to relevant documents in our integrated management system

Regulatory Tracking

• Maintaining a list of all applicable laws and regulations, specifying internal ownership, links to documentation of compliance and controls etc.

Project Requirements

• Tracking requirements in a project, with links to subpages with more details, each with a databases "card" on top, and using a template when creating new subpages directly from the database

Documentation library

• Maintaining an overview of all documentation available on a topic (for instance all insurance agreements)

Risk assessment

• We have created one central database with a common corporate risk register for HSE
• For each of our fifty subsidiaries we have created separate HSE documentation spaces, and in each of these we have created a local HSE risk database that links / includes all the risks defined in the central database, with a few extra columns used for local risk assessment
• This way the risk register is maintained in one database but is instantly updated across 50 locations, and all locations have their own local assements

+++

[Barbara Acker]

@thomas_ohrbom

Amazing!  Sounds like you are having all of your compliance related documentation in Confluence? Would you recommend this approach with databases?
I struggle with using them, since they are not yet compatible for exports in pages.

[thomas_ohrbom]

I would absolutely recommend this. We do have most of our compliance related documentation in Confluence and Confluence Databases by now. We used to have this stored in Word and Excel documents all over the place - very fragmented and confusing for the end users.

We have a very restricted budget, so not a cent available for investing in dedicated GRC / Compliance software. That means we have to be creative, and Confluence Databases have been a massive help for us.

[Barbara Acker]

Amazing! Thank you for your insights!

[Dana Bar Lavie Jones]

Thanks for sharing @thomas_ohrbom ! 
I am curious about how you built the database. as in , did you actually use it as a content creating database, or did you link each page into the table?

as we have so many pages scattered in different spaces, I am struggling to force order in the KB pages. The Content Manager is great per space, but it is only available to space admins, and a database is more flexible, would love to use it in big scale too. 

[thomas_ohrbom]

@Dana Bar Lavie Jones we have actually done both, depending on the use case. I would say in most cases we have linked existing pages into the database table, as we already had a large and mature integrated management system in Confluence Cloud with hundreds of documents (pages) well before Confluence Databases was implemented.

In several cases we have used Databases for content creation as well. For instance, when we ran our project to obtain ISO 27001 certification last year, we used a database to create subpages for all the 93 controls and corresponding attribute values from appendix A of ISO 27002.

Hope that makes sense :-)

[Josh]

@thomas_ohrbom it sounds like you're keeping some really important documentation in Confluence Databases.

Did you happen to come up with a way to keep that data safe given the current limitations in Databases:

1. [CONFCLOUD-82066] Include Database Backups in Confluence Site Backups
   1. "Currently, Confluence site backups don't include database content. While databases appear in the export tree, they don't retain their content, data, or functionality."
2. [CONFCLOUD-80170] Option for restoring to a past revision in Confluence Database
   1. "Currently, there is no option to restore data in the Confluence database if it is accidentally deleted or if a customer needs to revert to a previous version of the database."
3. [CONFCLOUD-80731] There is no option to review the history of Confluence Database
   1. "At the moment, the database change history shows only the last 30 days."

With the Cloud Security Shared Responsibilities model, customers are on the hook for any issues we cause with our data (e.g. a sleepy admin inadvertently changes or deletes something important).

As powerful as Databases seem to be, the Achilles Heel is that data integrity is wholly reliant on Atlassian's infrastructure and customers don't seem to have a scalable way to defend themselves from... themselves.

Would be really interested to hear if you found a way around all this that doesn't involve manually exporting specific Databases on a regular basis.

[Jason Hills]

Issues like that is why we don't store sensitive info natively in Confluence. We must have complete control over data governance. Sharepoint is better for than, even if its ... questionable ... about a lot of other things.

[thomas_ohrbom]

@Josh, we are aware of these issues, and for now we do manually exporting specific Databases on a regular basis. It is our hope that these issues will be addressed shortly by Atlassian.

[Josh]

That makes sense, @thomas_ohrbom . I had a conversation with an Atlassian this week, and this topic is very much on their radar. They weren't able to share any timing for when we could expect the functionality, but it is something they're looking at.

[Chris Nusca]

We use confluence databases to centralize tracking of program risks, issues, actions and decisions.  The key benefit is having a central repository that can be filtered to show only relevant items for certain stakeholders or initiatives.  Write once ready anywhere.

We are also considering using it for tracking key requirements across PRDs.

So far its great...just wish it had rich text formatting and also a content-only display mode that hides the headers and nested/indented scrollbars.  Both would significantly improve the readability.

[Matthew Burfeind]

I used it to create a user-facing application database, so staff can have a repository to browse and see what apps are available to them in specific categories, like AI, Collaboration, Project & Task Management, Training, Video, etc. Each record has a summary description, information about its availability (org-wide, department-specific, etc), how it's purchased and paid for (IT, department, or hybrid), how to get a license, and who some power users are who would be willing to talk about how they use it. I didn't want users to have to learn how to use the database itself, so I set up views for each category, and pages that show each of those as card views with the logo, summary description, and a link to a page that shows the full record for that app.

[Todor Velikov]

Putting views in separate pages is a very smart way to go about this - thank you for sharing this!