Podcast
Questions and Answers
What is a characteristic of a data warehouse?
What is a characteristic of a data warehouse?
- It includes metadata (correct)
- It is used for client-side scripting
- It is used for real-time applications
- It is used for operational data storage
A data mart is a physical subset of a data warehouse.
A data mart is a physical subset of a data warehouse.
True (A)
What is an operational data mart?
What is an operational data mart?
A small-scale data mart used by a single department or functional area when they need to analyze operational data
Metadata is ____________________ about data.
Metadata is ____________________ about data.
Match the following terms with their definitions:
Match the following terms with their definitions:
A data warehouse is designed for real-time applications.
A data warehouse is designed for real-time applications.
Why is data consolidation necessary in decision support?
Why is data consolidation necessary in decision support?
Data quality is improved when different sources use consistent data representations, codes, and formats.
Data quality is improved when different sources use consistent data representations, codes, and formats.
What is the primary reason for using a separate system for decision support?
What is the primary reason for using a separate system for decision support?
The DateDim table has a primary key of _______________________.
The DateDim table has a primary key of _______________________.
What is the purpose of the StoreDim table?
What is the purpose of the StoreDim table?
Match the dimension tables with their corresponding primary keys:
Match the dimension tables with their corresponding primary keys:
The SalesFact table has a primary key of Date.
The SalesFact table has a primary key of Date.
The BrandDim table is not shown in Figure 11, but it would have a primary key of _______________________.
The BrandDim table is not shown in Figure 11, but it would have a primary key of _______________________.
What is the primary reason business executives need strategic information?
What is the primary reason business executives need strategic information?
Companies started building and using computer systems in the 1950s.
Companies started building and using computer systems in the 1950s.
What do we mean by strategic information?
What do we mean by strategic information?
As businesses grew more complex, corporations spread ___________ and competition became fiercer.
As businesses grew more complex, corporations spread ___________ and competition became fiercer.
Match the following roles with their need for strategic information:
Match the following roles with their need for strategic information:
What is the primary purpose of a data warehouse?
What is the primary purpose of a data warehouse?
Data warehouses are designed to support operational systems.
Data warehouses are designed to support operational systems.
What is the main characteristic of a data warehouse in terms of its data content?
What is the main characteristic of a data warehouse in terms of its data content?
A data warehouse is a physical repository where relational data (current and historical) are specially organized to provide enterprise-wide, cleansed data in a ______________ format.
A data warehouse is a physical repository where relational data (current and historical) are specially organized to provide enterprise-wide, cleansed data in a ______________ format.
Match the characteristics of a data warehouse with their descriptions:
Match the characteristics of a data warehouse with their descriptions:
What is the benefit of having a data warehouse in terms of data access?
What is the benefit of having a data warehouse in terms of data access?
A data warehouse is a volatile repository of data.
A data warehouse is a volatile repository of data.
What is the main driving force behind the need for informational systems?
What is the main driving force behind the need for informational systems?
What is the main goal of a transactional system?
What is the main goal of a transactional system?
Operational databases typically maintain historical data for decision support.
Operational databases typically maintain historical data for decision support.
What is the main reason why a separate system, such as a data warehouse, is needed for analytics?
What is the main reason why a separate system, such as a data warehouse, is needed for analytics?
Complex decision-support queries would degrade performance for ______________________ transactions.
Complex decision-support queries would degrade performance for ______________________ transactions.
Match the following systems with their primary goals:
Match the following systems with their primary goals:
What is the main advantage of using a data warehouse for analytics?
What is the main advantage of using a data warehouse for analytics?
A data warehouse is designed to support transaction processing.
A data warehouse is designed to support transaction processing.
What is the main difference between a transactional system and a data warehouse?
What is the main difference between a transactional system and a data warehouse?
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Study Notes
Objectives
- Understand the need for strategic information in an enterprise
- Recognize the information crisis at every enterprise
- Distinguish between operational and informational systems
- Learn why past attempts to provide strategic information failed
- Understand why data warehousing is the viable solution
- Understand business intelligence for an enterprise
A New Paradigm
- Companies started using computer systems in the 1960s and became dependent on them
- As businesses grew more complex, executives became desperate for information to stay competitive
- Competitive advantage requires strategic information
The Need for Strategic Information
- Who needs strategic information: executives and managers responsible for keeping the enterprise competitive
- What is strategic information: combined essential information needed to make decisions in the formulation and execution of business strategies and objectives
The Need for Informational Systems
- Companies need to design and build informational systems that serve different purposes, have different scopes, data content, data usage patterns, and data access types
- Operational systems are not designed to provide strategic information
Data Warehouse Defined
- A physical repository where relational data (current and historical) are specially organized to provide enterprise-wide, cleansed data in a standardized format
- Provides an integrated and total view of the enterprise
- Makes the enterprise's current and historical information easily available for strategic decision making
- Makes decision-support transactions possible without hindering operational systems
- Renders the organization's information consistent
- Presents a flexible and interactive source of strategic information
Characteristics of Data Warehouse
- Subject-oriented: data are organized by detailed subject containing only information relevant for decision support
- Integrated: data warehouses must place data from different sources into a consistent format
- Time-variant: contains historical and current data
- Non-volatile: data cannot be changed or updated after it has been entered into the data warehouse
- Web-based: designed for web-based applications
- Relational/multidimensional: its structure is either relational or multidimensional
- Uses client-server: to be easy to access
- Real-time: a characteristic of new data warehouses
- Includes metadata: data about data (about how data are organized and used)
Definitions and Concepts
- Data mart: a logical and physical subset of a data warehouse, representing data from a single business process
- Operational data stores (ODS): a type of database often used as an interim area for a data warehouse
- Oper marts: an operational data mart, typically used by a single department or functional area
- Enterprise data warehouse (EDW): a technology that provides a vehicle for pushing data from source systems into a data warehouse for decision support
- Metadata: data about data
The Solution
- Use a separate system – a data warehouse designed for analytics
- Transactional models are not good for analytics
- Goal of transactional system is to capture data quickly, not to minimize the time or complexity of retrieving large amounts of data for analysis
- Why use a separate system:
- Performance: operational databases are designed and tuned for known transactions and workloads
- Function: decision support requires historical data, data consolidation, and data quality
- Security: need to limit visibility to sensitive data, and de-identify personal data
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