Database Reference
In-Depth Information
Data repository locations
Is your data warehouse going to reside in one central location, or is it going to
be distributed? The answer to this question will establish whether the selected
DBMS must support distributed databases.
Data warehouse growth
Your business requirements definition must contain information on the estimated
growth in the number of users and in the number and complexity of queries.
The growth estimates will have a direct relation to how the selected DBMS
supports scalability.
In addition to the criteria that the selected DBMS must have load balancing and
parallel processing options, we list below other key features you need to consider
when selecting the DBMS for your data warehouse:
Query governor
To anticipate and abort runaway queries
Query optimizer
To parse and optimize user queries
Query management
To balance the execution of different types of queries
Load utility
For high-performance data loading, recovery, and restart
Metadata management
With an active data catalog or dictionary
Scalability
In terms of both number of users and data volumes
Extensibility
Having hybrid extensions to OLAP databases
Portability
Across platforms
Query tool APIs
For tools from leading vendors
Administration
Providing support for all DBA functions
Online Analytical Processing (OLAP)
In today's business conditions, users need to go beyond basic facilities for analysis
provided by the data warehouse. Data warehousing is query-centric and designed
for querying and analysis. However, in the changed and competitive business envi-
ronment, users must have the capability to perform far more complex analysis in
less time.
Let us quickly examine how the traditional methods of analysis provided in a
data warehouse are not sufficient and perceive the nature of the more effective ana-
lytical system demanded by users.
Need for Multidimensional Analysis
Let us quickly review the business model
of a large retail operation. If you just look at daily sales, you soon realize that the
sales are interrelated to many business dimensions. Daily sales are meaningful only
when they are related to the dates of the sales, the products, the distribution chan-
nels, the stores, the sales territories, the promotions, and a few more dimensions.
Multidimensional views are inherently representative of any business model. Very
few models are limited to three dimensions or fewer. For planning and making
strategic decisions, managers and executives probe into business data by scenarios.
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