Embeddings are just columns. When exact vector search over Iceberg scans beats a vector database, when it does not, and how to lay out tables.
A six-layer reference architecture for agents on company data: planners, tool boundaries, identity, the semantic layer, and what breaks when a layer is missing.
Apache Polaris past the quickstart: persistence backends, realm bootstrap, replica token signing, upgrades, backups, and which failures take the lakehouse offline.
Tabular, Dremio, and a wave of data platform acquisitions: what changes for teams building on open formats and which guarantees survive a change of ownership.
