Databases Reference
In-Depth Information
Dimensional models in QlikView
In QlikView, the main benefit of using a dimensional model is increased response
time. QlikView just works faster when there are fewer links between tables. A
second benefit is that a dimensional model is very easy to understand, and can be
extended gracefully. It is very easy to add new facts (as long as they share the same
granularity), new dimensions, or extend existing dimensions.
As QlikView works better with fewer links between tables, you may wonder if it
might work even better when we just use a single flat table. If fewer links is better,
no links must be best, right? As with many things, the answer to this question is "It
depends." The next diagram shows a generalized list of the pros and cons of various
modeling approaches in QlikView:
Overall, in our experience, the star schema is the preferred model as it offers a good
balance between the various trade-offs.
If you want to learn more about dimensional modeling, an excellent
topic to consider is
The Data Warehouse Toolkit: The Complete Guide to
Dimensional Modeling
(Second Edition), Ralph Kimball and Margy
Ross, Wiley publication, ISBN: 0471200247.
