#migrating to snowflake

[next-pathway]

National Retailer Moves from Teradata to Snowflake

A national retailer successfully migrated from Teradata to Snowflake, transforming its data infrastructure for improved scalability, performance, and cost-efficiency. This move enabled the retailer to streamline operations, enhance data analytics, and foster innovation in a cloud-first environment.

Want to learn more? Download the full case study to explore the key insights from this successful migration!

[helicalinsight]

Firebird to Snowflake Migration A comprehensive Guide

Ask On Data is world’s first chat based AI powered data engineering tool. It is present as a free open source version as well as paid version. In free open source version, you can download from Github and deploy on your own servers, whereas with enterprise version, you can use AskOnData as a managed service.

Advantages of using Ask On Data

Built using advanced AI and LLM, hence there is no learning curve.

Simply type and you can do the required transformations like cleaning, wrangling, transformations and loading

No dependence on technical resources

Super fast to implement (at the speed of typing)

No technical knowledge required to use

Ask On Data is world’s first chat based AI powered data engineering tool. It is present as a free open source version as well as paid version. In free open source version, you can download from Github and deploy on your own servers, whereas with enterprise version, you can use AskOnData as a managed service.

Advantages of using Ask On Data

Built using advanced AI and LLM, hence there is no learning curve.

Simply type and you can do the required transformations like cleaning, wrangling, transformations and loading

No dependence on technical resources

Super fast to implement (at the speed of typing)

No technical knowledge required to use

Below are the steps to do the data migration activity

Step 1: Connect to Firebird  (which acts as source)

Step 2 : Connect to Snowflake (which acts as target)

Step 3: Create a new job. Select your source (Firebird) and select which all tables you would like to migrate.

Step 4 (OPTIONAL): If you would like to do any other tasks like data type conversion, data cleaning, transformations, calculations those also you can instruct to do in natural English. NO knowledge of SQL or python or spark etc required.

Step 5: Orchenstrate/schedule this. While scheduling you can run it as one time load, or change data capture or truncate and load etc.

For more advanced users, Ask On Data is also providing options to write SQL, edit YAML, write PySpark code etc.

There are other functionalities like error logging, notifications, monitoring, logs etc which can provide more information like the amount of data transferred, logs, any error information if the job did not run and other kind of monitoring information etc.

Trying Ask On Data

You can reach out to us on support@AskOnData.com for a demo, POC, discussion and further pricing information. You can make use of our managed services or you can also download and install on your own servers our community edition from Github.

[balusentech]

Need Expert Snowflake Resources? See Our Latest Success!

We are thrilled to announce that Balusen Technologies has successfully completed a significant ETL/migration project for a major telecom client in Singapore. Our expert Snowflake team is now available to take on new projects globally!

At Balusen Technologies, we specialize in:

- Designing, developing, and maintaining data pipelines and ETL processes using Snowflake, AWS services, Python, and DBT.

As the tech industry evolves, we see vast opportunities globally. Partner with us to leverage our expertise and drive your projects to success.

📞 Connect with us at info@balusen.com or call +91.93532.33291 to explore how we can assist you.

[leaplogicc]

Snowflake Migration

Snowflake migration involves moving data, workloads, and applications from traditional data warehousing systems to Snowflake's cloud-based data platform. Snowflake serves as an optimal solution for modern data analytics and insights due to its unmatched scalability, elasticity, and performance. The migration process encompasses evaluating the existing infrastructure, comprehending data dependencies, and ensuring seamless compatibility with Snowflake's architecture. By leveraging Snowflake, enterprises can harness the advantages of a fully managed, secure, and cost-efficient data environment, facilitating rapid data processing and real-time analytics. A successful migration to Snowflake empowers businesses to foster data-driven decision-making and drive innovation throughout their operations.

[ridgeanttechnologies]

As companies grow, so does their data, leading to a surge in demand for more scalable and powerful data platforms. Here, in this blog, we are talking about one of the most sought-after topics of migration from SQL Server to Snowflake.

[insignia2023]

Data-driven Marketing: Unleashing the Potential of Big Data

Data-driven marketing has become an essential strategy for businesses in today's digital landscape. With the vast amount of information available, companies are harnessing the power of big data to gain insights, make informed decisions, and drive targeted marketing campaigns. This approach is transforming the way businesses connect with their customers and unlocking a world of possibilities. Let's delve into the realm of data-driven marketing and explore its potential.

Big data provides businesses with a treasure trove of information about their target audience. By analyzing customer behavior, preferences, and demographics, companies can create highly personalized and targeted marketing campaigns. Through advanced analytics tools, businesses can identify patterns, trends, and correlations in the data, enabling them to tailor their marketing strategies to specific segments of their customer base. This level of personalization enhances the customer experience and boosts engagement, leading to higher conversion rates and customer loyalty.

Moreover, data-driven marketing allows businesses to optimize their marketing spend by targeting the right audience with the right message at the right time. By understanding customer preferences and purchasing behaviors, companies can allocate their resources more effectively, ensuring maximum return on investment. Instead of relying on guesswork or generic marketing campaigns, businesses can make data-backed decisions and deliver relevant content to their customers, increasing the chances of conversion and sales.

Another significant advantage of data-driven marketing is the ability to track and measure the success of marketing initiatives in real-time. With data analytics tools, businesses can monitor key performance indicators, such as click-through rates, conversion rates, and customer lifetime value, allowing them to make timely adjustments and optimizations. This iterative approach to marketing ensures continuous improvement and maximizes marketing effectiveness.

Data-driven marketing also empowers businesses to stay ahead of the competition. By leveraging big data, companies can gain valuable insights into market trends, consumer preferences, and competitor activities. These insights enable businesses to identify untapped opportunities, adapt to changing market dynamics, and develop innovative marketing strategies that give them a competitive edge. In conclusion, data-driven marketing has unleashed the potential of big data, transforming the way businesses connect with their customers. By utilizing the power of data analytics, companies can create personalized and targeted marketing campaigns, optimize their marketing spend, track performance in real-time, and gain a competitive advantage. As technology continues to evolve and generate more data, businesses that embrace data-driven marketing will thrive in the digital era. know more: https://insigniaconsultancy.com/cloud-migration.html

[uncharismatic-fauna]

Uncharismatic Fact of the Day

Snow buntings have most certainly earned the nickname the 'snowflake bird'. Aside from its breeding plumage, which is a striking black and white, snow buntings are the northernmost passerine bird in the world. During their breeding season, adults migrate to the high Arctic and regularly endure spring temperatures as low as −30 °C (-22 °F).

(Image: A female snow bunting (Plectrophenax nivalis) by Tom Wilberding)

[teklink]

Mastering SAP BW to Snowflake Migration: Best Practices and Key Considerations

The ever-expanding data landscape within modern enterprises demands a resilient data infrastructure that facilitates efficient analysis and informed decision-making. In response to the growing complexity, businesses are increasingly exploring alternatives to traditional data warehouse solutions, with Snowflake, a cloud-based data warehouse, emerging as a compelling migration target. This exploration delves into the crucial aspects of migrating from SAP BW to Snowflake, shedding light on the benefits, challenges, and best practices involved in this transformative process.

As enterprises evolve, the necessity for migration becomes evident. Despite SAP BW’s reliability, several factors drive businesses to consider the transition to Snowflake. Scalability limitations of SAP BW become apparent in the face of exponentially growing data volumes and complexities inherent in the contemporary enterprise landscape. The high maintenance costs associated with upgrading SAP BW infrastructure, particularly new version releases, propel organizations to explore more cost-effective alternatives. Additionally, the on-premise nature of SAP BW restricts agility and flexibility in accessing and analyzing data, a limitation addressed by the cloud-based accessibility offered by Snowflake. The increasing adoption of cloud-based solutions for enhanced accessibility, security, and disaster recovery further positions Snowflake as a natural fit for enterprises looking to future-proof their data infrastructure.

SAP BW, an on-premise data warehouse, caters to data consolidation and analysis from multiple SAP and non-SAP sources, boasting features such as data modeling, transformation, and reporting capabilities. In contrast, Snowflake, a cloud-based data warehouse, stands out with its elastic scaling, pay-as-you-go pricing, and seamless integration with various data sources and tools. It provides data storage, processing, and analysis functionalities.

While both platforms offer data warehousing functionalities, their architectures and delivery models diverge significantly. SAP BW relies on a traditional relational database model, whereas Snowflake employs a cloud-native architecture with separate storage and compute resources. The access methods also differ, with SAP BW being on-premise and Snowflake offering cloud-based access with various authentication methods. In terms of scalability, SAP BW requires manual infrastructure scaling, while Snowflake offers elastic scaling based on workloads.

Delving into features, SAP BW boasts multidimensional data modeling, integration with SAP applications, and extensive security options. On the other hand, Snowflake’s cloud-based architecture, pay-as-you-go pricing, and seamless integration with various data tools and cloud platforms set it apart.

Migration from SAP BW to Snowflake introduces challenges, but strategic approaches can mitigate them effectively. Adapting the existing SAP BW data model and transformations to the Snowflake schema poses complexity, which is addressed by utilizing data mapping tools and involving experienced data engineers. Data security during migration and in the cloud environment requires careful planning, achieved through robust access controls, encryption, and adherence to cloud security best practices. Adapting existing reports and dashboards to access data in Snowflake may require adjustments, mitigated by developing a comprehensive plan for report migration and user training to minimize disruption. The importance of change management is highlighted, emphasizing end-user training, effective communication strategies, and support channels to address concerns and facilitate adoption.

Best practices for a successful migration encompass defining project scope, resources, and timeline, ensuring data quality through cleansing and preparation, designing an efficient Snowflake schema optimized for performance, and leveraging Snowflake features like data pipelines and materialized views for efficient data processing. Rigorous testing of data migration, transformations, and reporting functionalities ensures a smooth transition.

Critical considerations for decision-makers include assessing Snowflake’s long-term cost savings from reduced infrastructure management and scalability benefits. Evaluating the current data warehouse’s ability to handle future data growth and changing business needs is crucial, as is ensuring the smooth integration of Snowflake with existing data tools and applications within the organization. In navigating the complex terrain of data warehouse migration, a comprehensive understanding of these considerations empowers businesses to make informed decisions for a seamless transition.

In summary, migrating from SAP BW to Snowflake is driven by the need for a more scalable, cost-effective, and agile data infrastructure. Snowflake’s cloud-native architecture and scalability features make it a compelling choice for modern enterprises seeking enhanced efficiency. Despite migration challenges, strategic planning and adherence to best practices pave the way for a successful transition, offering reduced infrastructure costs and scalability advantages. This shift represents a strategic evolution, positioning businesses for increased competitiveness in the dynamic data management landscape.

For more information, visit https://teklink.com/knowledge-center/mastering-sap-bw-to-snowflake-migration-best-practices-and-key-considerations/

[cozmowrites]

Christmas Eve (2024): Sparks

The snow fell in lazy flurries, blanketing the city in white. Twinkling lights lined every street and storefront, casting a festive glow over the evening. You tightened your scarf against the biting chill, clutching a small bag as you climbed the stairs Bakugou's apartment.

You weren't sure why you'd come. He wasn't the most cheerful person on a normal day, let alone during a season brimming with carols and good cheer. Still, there was something about his text—"If you're not busy, come over. Don't ask why."—that tugged at you. You were too curious for your own good, of course.

When you knocked, the door opened with a grumble. Bakugou stood in sweatpants and a hoodie, his hair more unruly than usual. He leaned against the frame, his sharp gaze dropping to the bag in your hand.

"You bring whatever's in there for me?" He asked, his voice gruff and irritated. He hated holidays and winter. The cold was the worst for him.

"Depends," you shot back, stepping past him into the apartment. "Did you eat dinner, or are you surviving on coffee and anger again?"

"Tch. Whatever." He shut the door behind you, the faint scent of roasted coffee hanging in the air. Coffee brews, just as it always does.

His apartment was tidy, but it lacked any sign of the holiday season: no tree, no lights, no wreaths. The only sound came from the radiator near the wall, making it all warm and cozy in there. You set the bag down on the counter and turned to him.

"No decorations, huh?"

"Why would I bother?" He muttered, crossing his arms as he leaned against the counter. "Christmas is for idiots who wanna waste their money on crap they don't need."

"Not even a string of lights? A candle?" You pressed, your teasing smile softening when he frowned.

"Drop it," he said, his voice quieter than usual.

You hesitated, the weight of his words settling between you. "Alright," you said gently, pulling a small container from the bag. "But you can't tell me to drop this. I brought cookies."

His brow twitched, but he said nothing as you popped the lid and revealed a neat row of snowflake-shaped cookies, their edges dusted with sugar. His frown deepened.

"Did you seriously bake for me?"

"They're for both of us," you replied, offering him one. "You're allowed to enjoy things, Bakugou. Even Christmas cookies."

He stared at the cookie like it was some kind of trap before finally taking it. The corners of his mouth twitched when he bit into it, though he tried to hide it.

"They're alright," he muttered.

"'Alright' is practically a compliment coming from you," you teased, reaching for your own cookie.

For a while, the two of you ate in companionable silence. The faint tension in the air began to fade, replaced by something warmer. You found yourself leaning against the counter next to him, the quiet between you no longer uncomfortable. It's been a while since the two of you conversed as such. After graduating, you hadn't had much contact with him. He's been busy saving up for Midoriya's hero suit.

"So," you ventured, brushing crumbs from your hands. "Why'd you ask me to come over?"

He grunted, his eyes fixed on a random spot on the wall. "Just didn't feel like being alone tonight."

The honesty caught you off guard. Bakugou rarely admitted things like that, and when he did, it was never without some resistance.

"You know," you said softly, "I don't mind being here. You don't have to act like you're doing me a favor."

He shot you a look, but there was no venom in it. Instead, his expression softened just a fraction.

"Yeah," he muttered, looking away. "I know."

You both migrated to the couch, sitting closer than you had expected, though neither of you mentioned it. The bag of cookies was placed on the coffee table, the only thing between you. Outside, the snow continued to fall, the quiet cityscape visible through the window.

"This is nice," you said after a while, your voice barely above a whisper.

"What is?"

"Just... sitting here. Not worrying about anything for once."

He didn't respond right away, but you caught the way his shoulders relaxed, the hard edges of his posture softening.

"You're easy to be around. You always were," he finally said, almost too quiet for you to hear. "Not annoying, like most people."

It was such a Bakugou way of giving a compliment that you couldn't help but laugh. "Thanks, I think."

He rolled his eyes. His gaze lingered on you for a moment too long, as though he was trying to figure out something he didn't quite know how to say.

The weight of his attention made your heart flutter, and you looked down at your hands to steady yourself. "Do you really hate Christmas?"

"Tch. Hate's a strong word," he admitted. "I just don't get why people make such a big deal out of it."

"Maybe it's not about the big deal," you said, leaning back against the couch. "It's about the small things. Like cookies and company. And gifts."

His lips pressed into a thin line, but his gaze softened again, the intensity replaced with something quieter. "Maybe."

The word lingered in the air, as delicate as the snowflakes falling outside. You watched him carefully, his profile illuminated by the faint glow of the city lights streaming through the window. He looked pretty as the glow cascaded on his usual scowl which was replaced by a soft look you hadn't seen in a long time. Katsuki Bakugou, the explosive, brash pro-hero, seemed almost fragile at this moment, his rough edges softened by the quiet warmth of the evening.

"You know," you said gently, breaking the silence, "it doesn't have to mean anything big. It can just be... a time to slow down. To enjoy the little things."

He huffed, the sound neither dismissive nor annoyed. "You really believe all that cheesy crap?"

"Yeah," you replied, smiling softly. "Sometimes cheesy crap is good for the soul."

He turned to you then, and for a moment, you felt pinned under the weight of his gaze. But it wasn't intimidating. It was searching, curious like he was trying to make sense of something he didn't fully understand.

"Tch. You're weird," he muttered, but there was no heat in his words.

"And yet, you're the one who invited me over," you shot back, your tone light.

"Yeah, yeah," he grumbled, leaning back against the couch. His arm rested along the back, close enough that his fingers brushed the fabric of your sleeve. "Guess I could've done worse. Invited shitty hair or dunce face. They would've been too loud."

You chuckled, leaning back as well. The proximity between you was both comforting and electric, a warmth spreading through you that had nothing to do with the cookies or the cocoa.

"Hey," you said after a moment, your voice quieter now. "Thanks for letting me be here. I mean it."

He glanced at you, his crimson eyes softer than you'd ever seen them. "Yeah. Whatever." But the corner of his mouth twitched, almost imperceptibly, and you swore you caught the ghost of a smile.

The snow outside grew heavier, the world beyond his apartment quiet and still. Neither of you spoke, content to let the silence settle between you like a blanket. After a while, you leaned forward, pulling a blanket from the arm of the couch and draping it over the two of you.

"Don't read into this," you said teasingly, settling back into your spot. "I'm cold."

"Tch. You're hopeless," he muttered, though he didn't push the blanket away. His arm shifted slightly, settling just behind you.

The weight of his arm, the warmth of the blanket, the quiet hum of the city outside—it all felt like pieces falling into place. Slowly, subtly, but perfectly.

"Maybe Christmas isn't so bad," he murmured, almost too quiet for you to catch.

Your heart fluttered, but you didn't look at him, afraid to break whatever spell had settled over the two of you. Instead, you let your head rest against his shoulder, your voice soft as you replied, "Maybe."

For the first time that night, he didn't argue.

+++

masterlist ⟢

more bakugou ⟢

requests ツ

[tumbling-through-deepspace]

Caretaker Foreseer

In a castle surrounded by ice and endless white, a Demi-god meets one who's existence will tilt his world on its axis.

The sweet caress of frosty winds passed through lilac feathers, and laughter rang through the air. Most of her people had already migrated to warmer climates but she was always the kind to not follow the flock.

Lyssa loved this kind of weather, the nippy cold air and light snowflakes that felt soft to the touch and she loved most of all, visiting the tower's occupant and his Jasmin flowers.

The Foreseer. Zayne Li. The two met by chance when she hurt one of her wings and took refuge in his castle of ice and glass.

She had not anticipated the snowstorm that descended upon her during her flight, so the howling winds and blinding snow caused her to fly into a mountain side, fracturing her wing. Luckily, she was taught how to survive if her wings ever became incapacitated.

So, tucking them in, she used her evol to regulate body heat and ventured to find cover. Luckily it did not take long to find a cave which she used for cover.

"Why do I always seem to find myself in some sort of predicament. Can't the gods send some luck my way?"

Said luck was stumbling through a clearing and seeing a grand castle standing tall and majestic.

Believe it or not, she had her moments and felt too lazy to walk, so Lyssa thought it was a bright idea to use her wings to fly to the castle.

It went as well as you think it would go... she did make it up (painstakingly) but crash landed into what looked like a throne room.

"Not your best landing Lys. Do better."

"Who are you?"

Zayne spent his time alone, taking care of the castle and attending to the duty bestowed upon him by the god Astra.

His life mundane but he was content... he thought that until she appeared. Wings of lilac, curly hair that were disheveled by the winds and a voice that echoed with melodies.

At first, he thought she was there to steal from him but after she proved that she was not even knowledgeable about his existence until that very moment, he offered sanctuary.

This left him confused. Others who trespassed never made it this far yet something about her made him act differently.

She explained that her wing was fractured, which she demonstrated as proof. That it would take a few weeks to heal since this was not the first time this happened to her.

How can she say such a thing with such optimism?

The following weeks started off a bit awkward due to their different personalities but as the saying goes: No man is an island.

She followed him like a duckling but was respectful and never imposed when he needed to be left alone.

At some point he started seeking her out. She told him about her flock and that she never felt at home with them, so she would travel on her own.

She would tend to his Jasmine flowers that only bloom when she sang to them.

He never released how lonely he was until she became an important part of his life.

Now, here they were two months later.

"Please Zayne! I promise I won't drop you. It's a perfect day for flying and you can help me test the strength of my wings."

The Demi-god gave her a deadpanned look "I will not be your guineapig, Lyssa. If you wish to have a test of strength, I can make very frigid weather."

They were having a midday walk around his courtyard. Lyssa giggled which sounded like chirps; she then burst into a sprint before taking flight.

Zayne looked up as she ascended higher, admiring the way she did flips and turns. In all his years, he has never met someone so carefree and there was a pang in his heart because she would have to leave. The seasons were changing again.

Birds and ice don't mix. He was surprised that she stayed as long as she did. Zayne blinked in surprise when her face suddenly appeared in front of him.

She was hovering off the ground, wings flapping lightly. A small smile on her face as her luminous violet eyes were filled with mirth.

"You were so deep in thought, Mr. Zayne. It seems that I can handle long flights and high altitudes now without my wing hurting."

His brow crinkled together, "I guess you'll be on your way now."

She took his face in her hands. "Don't make that face. I'll visit. Thank you for taking care of me. Hey! I know, can I give you a gift?"

"Depends on what it is."

"Gosh Zayne, for a Demi-god, you are such a pessimist. I give you my word that my gift will not bring you harm in any way, now or in any future. Would it be presumptuous to say that I feel a connection between us, and I wish to leave a piece of me with you?"

"Do you do this often?" not answering her question. His heart skipped a beat that she wanted to stay connected to him.

"I've only done this with one other person, but I'll tell you about him another day."

"Who is -"

"Another time. I think you'll like him. I have a connection with him, too... the big grouch. So can I give you, my gift?"

Zayne looked into her eyes, a new feeling flared up at the thought that someone else got this offer but her giddy expression and anticipated gaze made him sigh "very well. You have my permission."

Squealing, he was taken off guard when she flung herself at him, her lips fell on his in an electrifying kiss, ribbons of light danced along his skin, and before he could recuperate, she pulled away.

"Now a piece of me will always be with you. I put some of my special evol in your system, so you'll be able to talk to me whenever you want."

"Huh?" What exactly just happened? Why does his skin feel like it's vibrating, and his ears had a faint ringing to it that sounded like singing.

Lyssa snorted, "Not so eloquent... there is now a connection between us. We will always find our way back to each other, plus I'm told by the elders of my flock that it brings the ones who have been gifted, a huge blessing. Don't ask me what it is, it depends on the person."

Zayne's expression softened at her exuberant explanation. She was so full of life. He ran a finger down her cheek.

"Don't go."

She smiled sadly, "I'll return to you, Zayne. This I promise. Unless you come with me, and I fly you to my next destination."

The snowball to her face had her laughing until her eyes watered.

The rest of the afternoon was spent in each other's company, thoughts on one another as they chose not to dwell on her upcoming departure.

The gift bestowed would bring a huge change to each of their lives, one that they could never be able to fathom.

[poetrybyalfie]

Blue Copper Butterfly

you live up to

the lineage of the

blue copper butterfly,

a gossamer shadow

in the shape

of a father.

you were given the

opportunity to

nurture a larva,

but migrated south for

a lifelong winter

and never looked back

at the beauty you

left behind.

but your butterfly is soaring

like i knew he would,

his joyful blue hue

never dimmed by

your web

because

being a symbol of

serenity is his

specialty,

something

you were never around

long enough to learn—

and all i have left

to say to you

is that one day,

when you sputter

through snowflakes and

feel the frost

nip your wingtips,

i hope you realize

that you can never

pinion his spirit

no matter how much blame

you try to pin to his chest

because he never needed you

to have the courage

to fly.

Image by Wayne L. Dore

[mau-mao]

Piebald in Cats

White spotting grades

Eye colors + colloquial terms

EYE COLOURS White, or mostly white, cats often have blue eyes, amber eyes or one of each colour. Non pedigree white, or mostly white cats, may have green or yellow eyes. Non-pedigree colour & mostly-colour cats can have eyes any colour, but rarely blue eyes. In pedigree cats, breed standards define which eye colours are allowed.

Geneticist terms

Unusual patterns (developmental)

(Brindled Bicolour) Due to failure of one of the pigments in a red/black tortoiseshell.

Roan patterns

Salt-and-pepper pattern, most striking in black roan. Associated with Karpati gene and Lykoi gene.

Dominant mutation from Eastern Europe (Poland, Romania), variable roan effects including "reverse colourpoint" effect.

Found in Finnish feral colony, 2007; Identified 2024 as mutation of white spotting gene.

Tabby-style pattern seen in supposed feral cat, resembling snow leopard clouding. Authenticity not confirmed.

Age/health related

Early stage - isolated white spots.

Later stage - Cobweb/Snowflake effect progressing to solid white.

Fur around the eyes becomes pale, giving spectacled effect.

Fur may grow back white.

May be greying of fur around muzzle.

"Thai" white spotting gene (skunk stripe)

The Thai White Spotting pattern includes a white dorsal stripe and a white tail that may have a band or blotches of black. In Thailand, the pattern is called But-Se-Weis or But-Tal-Lon and various degrees of white—all with a dorsal stripe—are depicted in manuscripts. These patterns can also be seen in native Thai cats. The diagrams below show some of the variations.

Theories of how white spotting works - DISPROVEN

Theory 1: The melanoblasts arise from the neural crest (the back of the embryo) and migrate over the body when the skin forms. If melanoblasts don't reach their intended position before the skin is fully formed, those areas of skin won't have pigment producing cells and will be white. This is why white is most often found on areas furthest from the neural crest: paws, belly and chest. Areas closest to the neural crest—the back and tail—are most likely to get pigment cells.

Theory 2: A cellular mechanism reduces the melanoblasts in certain areas. Melanoblasts first migrate over the whole surface of the embryo. At the extremities, they selectively die out (apoptosis) or are biochemically turned off. The dying off/turning off spreads towards the torso. How far it reaches depends on a chemical gradient that is strongest at the extremities, but gets weaker further away. The white belly area is the embryonic ventral seam that expands rapidly during growth.

Theory of how white spotting works - PROVEN

The White Spotting gene affects the embryo melanoblasts which become pigment-producing skin cells (melanocytes).

Theory 3: For high grade white spotting there may be another mechanism that produces jigsaw-like patches. First the melanoblasts migrate evenly across the skin surface. Then the expanding skin surface "cracks" during early embryo growth. Cracks break up the coloured surface into islands. The islands drift apart over the embryonic surface as the embryo grows. White areas form between the coloured islands. The white areas are like scar tissue and there are no more melanocytes available to fill them in. Some islands can get pushed together to create a mask-and-mantle pattern. It's similar to how continents moving on the Earth's surface. The white belly area is the embryonic ventral seam that expands rapidly during embryo growth (or it is the limit of melanocyte migration). Black feet are black islands that get pushed to the foot extremity by the expansion of the belly region the same time that limbs were forming.

CREDITS TO MESSYBEAST CATS

[trekbait]

Cosmozoans you wish you could pet

As you venture out into the galaxy, it's not all humanoids you know. Our universe is full of space-born life known as Cosmozoans. These creatures fly around the depths of space living their best lives and occasionally getting into crazy scrapes when a starship flies by. And you know what? A bunch are SO CUTE! We did a poll of our team to find out which ones we want to take home and snuggle with (not accounting for size). 

So get out your EV suit, we’re here to pet space’s cutest lifeforms!

Gekli

These snuggly babies might get a bit close to your ship’s fusion reactors but there’s no denying how touchy-feely they can get. One, nicknamed ‘Junior’, was suckling off the Enterprise D until its kindred were found in a nearby asteroid belt. In our books, it can’t be blamed for thinking the Enterprise was mommy.

Farpoint creature

Maybe we’re pushing cuddly by including a jellyfish, but our local Benzite here, Mandiks, insisted. But what is undeniable is how beautiful and glorious these creatures are in their natural forms. When we say natural forms; well they also double as space vessels. So I guess you can cuddle them from the inside?

Gormagander

Sometimes given the misnomer, “space whale”, this majestic creature is endangered due to them being so obsessed with eating that they forget to reproduce. A feeling some of our readers may sympathise with. The bonus is adopting it in an official refuge will help protect them from hunters; so adopt a whale to save the whales!

Crystalline Entity

This handsome snowflake of awesome proportions might consume whole planets or all organic matter on a regular basis, but it has also consumed our affections. Just be sure to get your graviton pulses at the right rate or it may get confused as to where it’s dinner is.

Verugament

These gorgeous bioluminescent organisms migrate through space looking for new breeding grounds (they seem a lot better at that than the Gormagander; take notes, readers. We know you've been without, for seven years about). While easily small enough to get your arms around, they can deliver painful electric shocks and are considered by Bal here to be “icky” given their goopy texture. That's not for everyone, but they're definitely cute.

Gomtuu

Much like the aforementioned Farpoint creature, Gomtuu are sentiment organic space vessels who can communicate telepathically. These creatures share something with cats; the ability and will to defend their boundaries. Get too close without permission and you may find yourself caught up in an energy wave capable of destroying a Warbird. My cat is still more fierce about being petted without warning, however (incidentally, from our last pet poll it seems you lot are all about your cats too! Congratulations, we have readers of culture).

Rytonian

These little squid babies, again on the list thanks to Mandiks’ love of marine-looking life (we are told they have quite an aquarium at home), are formed from the gravity well inside nebulae. Large swarms may be formed during intense energy waves. Don’t you just want to boop their… their… I don’t see a nose but that won’t stop me booping them.

Tardigrade

These little creatures are a bit more of a huggable size. They’re interdimensional creatures who can incorporate other forms of DNA within their own and warp across the galaxy: your chief engineer can eat their heart out! (that's a human expression I'm told, we do not advise they actually do that). They’re friendly but fearsome in self-defence so absolutely do not be late with their dinner! 

Disclaimer

We could include a great number of other entities such as the telepathic pitcher plant, Zetarians, Beta Renner cloud, Calamarain, Species 8472, Cosmic cloud, Nucleogenic cloud, space amoeba, and so on but we figure we have to draw the line at petting somewhere and have gone with the most common humanoid feelings on the matter. Do correct us though if you want to hug the space amoeba!

Follow us for more guides to your galaxy!

[leaplogicc]

Snowflake Migration

Snowflake migration involves moving data, workloads, and applications from traditional data warehousing systems to Snowflake's cloud-based data platform. Snowflake serves as an optimal solution for modern data analytics and insights due to its unmatched scalability, elasticity, and performance. The migration process encompasses evaluating the existing infrastructure, comprehending data dependencies, and ensuring seamless compatibility with Snowflake's architecture. By leveraging Snowflake, enterprises can harness the advantages of a fully managed, secure, and cost-efficient data environment, facilitating rapid data processing and real-time analytics. A successful migration to Snowflake empowers businesses to foster data-driven decision-making and drive innovation throughout their operations.