Data

Warehousing
Technology
Glossary

ATG’s Data Warehousing

Technology Guide Series

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Solaris™ operating environment, provide a state-of-the-
art platform on which to build your data warehouse.
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premier alliances ensure that Sun servers are the ideal
platforms on which to run all the leading business
applications and that the best resources are available
to you whether you're implementing a data mart, or a
large scale data warehouse.

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if it meets your needs, Sun has established the Sun
Decision Warehouse Sales Support Center and other
joint competency centers worldwide, so you can model
and test your solution in a real world environment.

The ultimate success of your enterprise may depend

on the reliability and availability of your data warehouse.
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service and support programs, customized to fit your
business requirements.

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 Access Path—The path chosen by a database man-
agement system to retrieve the requested data.
Active Data Warehouse—A data warehouse that
searches for trends and patterns in evaluational data.
It is an active process that searches an evaluational
Visit ATG’s Web Site database for trends, patterns, and exceptions.
Active Metadata Warehouse—A metadata ware-
to read, download, and print house that is automatically updated when new data
enter the data resource.
all the Technology Guides
Ad-Hoc Query—Any query that cannot be deter-
in this series. mined prior to the moment the query is issued. A query
that consists of dynamically constructed SQL, which is
usually constructed by desktop-resident query tools.
Ad-Hoc Query Tool—An end-user tool that accepts
an English-like or point-and-click request for data and
constructs an ad-hoc query to retrieve the desired result.
Administrative Data—In a data warehouse, the
www.techguide.com data that helps a warehouse administrator manage the
warehouse. Examples of administrative data are user
profiles and order history data.
Aggregate Data—Data that is the result of applying
a process to combine data elements. Data that is taken
collectively or in summary form.
Aggregation—Used in the broad sense to mean aggre-
gating data horizontally, vertically, and chronologically.
Architecture—A definition and preliminary design
which describes the components of a solution and their
interactions. An architecture is the blueprint by which
implementers construct a solution which meets the
users’ needs.
“The significant problems we face cannot be solved Atomic Data—Data elements that represent the low-
by the same level of thinking that created them.” est level of detail. For example, in a daily sales report,
the individual items sold would be atomic data, while
Albert Einstein rollups such as invoice and summary totals from invoices
are aggregate data.

Data Warehousing Technology Glossary • 3

Automatic Data Partitioning—The process of
automatically partitioning data and metadata based on
a client’s request for data at a specific data site.
Automatic Data Replication—The process of
automatically creating data and metadata replicates
based on a client’s request for data at a specific data site.
Availability—A measure of the percentage of time
that a computer system is capable of supporting a user
request. A system may be considered unavailable as a
result of events such as system failures or unplanned
application outages.
B Tree—An indexing technique in which pointers to
data are kept in a “Balanced Tree” structure such that
all referenced data is equally accessible in an equal time
frame. For example, this would allow an alphabetical
search on names to access the names “Adams”,
“Madison” and “Young” with equal speed.
Bi-directional Extracts—The ability to extract,
cleanse, and transfer data in two directions among
different types of databases, including hierarchical,
networked, and relational databases.
Bit Mapped Indexes—Indexing techniques which
use binary encoding to represent data. Originally used
only for Low Cardinality data, recent advances such as
Sybase IQ have allowed this technique to be used for
High Cardinality data as well.
Bulk Data Transfer—A software-based mechanism
designed to move large data files. It supports compres-
sion, blocking, and buffering to optimize transfer times.
Business Activities—A component of information
technology infrastructure that represent all business
activities in an organization, whether they are automated
or manual. They utilize the data resource and the plat-
form resource to perform specific processes and tasks.
4 • Data Warehousing Technology Glossary
Business Architecture—One of the four layers of
an IT architecture: information, business, applications
and technology. Describes and defines the business
processes utilized within an organization.
Business Data—Information about people, places,
things, business rules, and events, which is used to oper-
ate the business. It is not metadata. (Metadata defines
and describes business data.)
Business-Driven Approach—The process of identi-
fying the data needed to support business activities,
acquiring or capturing those data, and maintaining
them in the data resource.
Business Drivers—The people, information, and
tasks that support the fulfillment of a business objective.
Business Experts—People that thoroughly under-
stand the business and the data supporting the business.
They know the specific business rules and processes
unique to the organization or organizations within the
scope of the common metadata.
Business Schema—A schema that represents the
structure of business transactions used by clients in the
real world. It is considered to be unnormalized data.
Business-Driven Data Distribution—The situation
where the business need for data at a specific location
drive the development of a data site and the distribution
of data to the data site. It is independent of the existence
of a telecommunications network.
Cache—A high speed dynamic memory used as a
buffer between the CPU and physical disk storage to
mitigate or eliminate potential speed differences between
access times to physical disks and faster system memory.
In storage arrays cache implementation is usually non-
volatile to ensure data integrity.
Data Warehousing Technology Glossary • 5
Cardinality—The number of data occurrences
allowed on either side of a data relation. In the com-
mon data architecture, cardinality is documented with
data integrity, not with the data structure.
Central Warehouse—A database created from oper-
ational extracts that adheres to a single, consistent,
enterprise data model to ensure consistency of decision-
support data across the corporation. A style of comput-
ing where all the information systems are located and
managed from a single physical location.
Centralized Data Warehouse—A data warehouse
implementation in which a single warehouse serves the
need of several business units simultaneously with a sin-
gle data model which spans the needs of the multiple
business divisions.
Chained Data Replication—The replication of
nonofficial data to another nonofficial data. If data are
replicated from nonofficial data, they are considered
duplicated data, not replicated data.
Change Data Capture—The process of capturing
changes made to a production data source. Change
data capture is typically performed by reading the
source DBMS log. It consolidates units of work, ensures
data is synchronized with the original source, and
reduces data volume in a data warehousing environment.
Classic Data Warehouse Development—The
process of building an enterprise business model, creat-
ing a system data model, defining and designing a data
warehouse architecture, constructing the physical data-
base, and lastly, populating the warehouses database.
Client/Server—A distributed technology approach
where the processing is divided by function. The server
performs shared functions—managing communications,
providing database services, etc. The client performs
individual user functions—providing customized inter-
faces, performing screen to screen navigation, offering
help functions, etc.
6 • Data Warehousing Technology Glossary
Client/Server Processing—A form of cooperative
processing in which the end-user interaction is through
a programmable workstation (desktop) that must execute
some part of the application logic over and above dis-
play formatting and terminal emulation.
Coarse Granularity—See highly summarized data.
Collection—A set of data that resulted from a DBMS
query.
Collection Time—The time data were actually
collected about the event.
Combined Data—A concatenation of individual
facts.
Common Data Architecture—A formal, compre-
hensive data architecture that provides a common
context within which an integrated data resource is
developed so that it adequately supports the business
information demand.
Common Data Model—A comprehensive model
that represents the universe of data available to an
organization that has been identified and defined within
the common data architecture. It represents the objects
and events in the real world that are of interest to the
organization, is subject-oriented, and includes all
perspectives of the real world.
Common Data Modeling—The process of develop-
ing a model of the integrated data resource within a
common data architecture. The process facilitates the
integration of existing data and increases the awareness
and understanding of those data. It is a process to plan
the distribution of data based on business needs and the
physical operating environment.
Common Data Modeling Method—A method
that combines forward data modeling, reverse data
modeling, and vertical data modeling. The method
provides an easy way to move between unnormalized
Data Warehousing Technology Glossary • 7
business transactions and a denormalized database and
between the real world and detailed data resource
design within the common data architecture.
Common Data Structure—The structure of data
within the common data architecture that provides a
full understanding of all the disparate data structures
and multiple perspectives of the real world represented
by those data structures.
Common Metadata—Metadata developed within
the common data architecture to provide all the detail
necessary to thoroughly understand the data resource
and how it can be improved to meet the business infor-
mation demand.
Comprehensive Data Definition—A formal data
definition that provides a complete, meaningful, easily
read, readily understood definition explaining the con-
tent and meaning of data.
Conceptual Schema—A schema that represents a
common structure of data that is the common denomi-
nator between the internal schema and external schema.
Connectivity—The ability of a device to connect to
another. This includes not only the physical issues asso-
ciated with the buses, connector topologies and other
such matters, but also the support of the protocols
required to pass data successfully over the physical
connection.
Consistent Data Quality—The state of a data
resource where the quality of existing data is thorough-
ly understood and the desired quality of the data
resource is known. It is a state where disparate data
quality is known, and the existing data quality is being
adjusted to the level desired to meet the current and
future business information demand.
Consumer—An individual, group, or application that
accesses data/information in a data warehouse.
8 • Data Warehousing Technology Glossary
Consumer Profile—Identification of an individual,
group, or application and a profile of the data they
request and use: the kinds of warehouse data, physical
relational tables needed, and the required location and
frequency of the data (when, where, and in what form it
is to be delivered).
Critical Success Factors—Key areas of activity in
which favorable results are necessary for a company to
reach its goal.
Crosstab—A process or function that combines and/or
summarizes data from one or more sources into a concise
format for analysis or reporting.
Data—Items representing facts, text, graphics, bit-
mapped images sound, analog or digital live-video
segments. Data is the raw material of a system supplied
by data producers and is used by information consumers
to create information.
Data Access—The process of entering a database to
store or retrieve data.
Data Access Tools—An end-user oriented tool that
allows users to build SQL queries by pointing and click-
ing on a list of tables and fields in the data warehouse.
Data Accuracy—The component of data integrity
that deals with how well data stored in the data resource
represent the real world. It includes a definition of the
current data accuracy and the adjustment in data
accuracy to meet the business needs.
Data Administration—The processes and procedures
by which the integrity and currency of the data in the
warehouse are maintained.
Data Aggregation—A type of data derivation where
a data value is derived from the aggregation of two or
more contributing data characteristics in different data
occurrences within the same data subject.
Data Warehousing Technology Glossary • 9
Data Architecture—(1) The science and method of
designing and constructing an integrated data resource
that is business-driven, based on real world objects and
events as perceived by the organization, and imple-
mented into appropriate operating environments. The
overall structure of a data resource that provides a con-
sistent foundation across organizational boundaries to
provide easily identifiable, readily available, high-quality
data to support the business information demand.
(2) The component of the data resource framework that
contains all activities, and the products of those activi-
ties, related to the identification, naming, definition,
structuring, quality, and documentation of the data
resource for an organization.
Data Attribute—Represents a data characteristic
variation that is used in a logical data model.
Data Attribute Group—Represents the use of a
data characteristic group in a logical data model.
Data Cardinality—Cardinality is a property of
data elements which indicates the number of allowable
entries in that element. For example, a data element
such as “gender” only allows two entries: “Male” or
“Female” Data elements which have few allowable
entries are said to possess “Low Cardinality”. Those,
such as “age” or “income”, for which many allowable
entries are possible, are said to have “High Cardinality”.
Data Characteristic—An individual characteristic
that describes a data subject. It is developed, directly
through measurement or indirectly through derivation,
from a feature of an object or event. Each data subject
is described by a set of data characteristics.
Data Cleansing—The process of manipulating the
data extracted from operational systems so as to make it
usable by the data warehouse. When loading data from
existing operational systems, it is likely that few if any
of the operational systems will have data to present in a
format which is compatible with the data model devel-
10 • Data Warehousing Technology Glossary
oped for the Warehouse. For example, a product num-
ber may be held as a numeric field in one system while
a second system appends an alpha suffix to the number
for reporting purposes.
Data Cluster—A temporary group of data subjects
for a specific purpose. It can be any useful combination
of data subjects for any specific purpose that cannot be
met by any of the other categorical levels.
Data Collection Frequency—The frequency at
which data are collected from the world.
Data Completeness—An indication of whether
or not all the data necessary to meet the current and
future business information demand are available in the
data resource. It deals with determining the data need-
ed to meet the business information demand and ensur-
ing those data are captured and maintained in the data
resource so they are available when needed.
Data Compression—Mathematical techniques used
to reduce the amount of storage required for certain
data.
Data Concurrency—The situation where the repli-
cated data values at are synchronized with the corre-
sponding data values at the official data source. When
the data values at the official data source are updated,
the replicated data values must also be updated so they
are consistent with the official data source.
Data Conversion—The process of changing data
from one physical environment to another. This process
makes any changes necessary to move data from one
electronic medium or database product to another.
Data Denormalization—The process of developing
the internal schema from the conceptual schema.
Data Derivation—The process of creating a data
value from one or more contribution data values
through a data derivation algorithm.
Data Warehousing Technology Glossary • 11
Data Dictionary—A database about data and data-
base structures. A catalog of all data elements, contain-
ing their names, structures, and information about their
usage. A central location for metadata. Normally, data
dictionaries are designed to store a limited set of avail-
able metadata, concentrating on the information relat-
ing to the data elements, databases, files, and programs
of implemented systems.
Data Dimension—A representation of a single set of
objects or events in the real world.
Data Dissemination—The process of getting data
from the data resource to a client, within or without the
organization, through appropriate application and
telecommunication networks. Data are disseminated
through client/server applications, electronic mail, and
traditional business applications.
Data Distribution—The placement and mainte-
nance of replicated data at one or more data sites on a
mainframe computer or across a telecommunications
network. This part of developing and maintaining an
integrated data resource that ensures data are properly
managed when distributed across many different data
sites. Data distribution is one type of data deployment,
which is the transfer of data to data sites.
Data Duplication—A term used to identify data that
are captured, processed, or stored redundantly. It results
in unknown, uncontrolled, and unmanaged data redun-
dancy. It is not orderly and creates additional disparate
data.
Data Element—The most elementary unit of data
that can be identified and described in a dictionary or
repository which cannot be subdivided.
Data Entity—Represents a data subject from the
common data model that is used in the logical data
model.
12 • Data Warehousing Technology Glossary
Data Exploration—The process of routinely
searching evaluational data for patterns, trends, and
exceptions. Data exploration usually starts with an
incomplete definition of the search criteria and an
unknown volume of data. As patterns, trends, and
exceptions are discovered, the search criteria are refined
and the volume of data may be changed.
Data Explosion—A term given to express the
increase in stored data when using MultiDimensional
Database Systems. The amount of data stored in these
systems is often a multiple of the size of the raw data
entered into the systems from the existing operational
databases. Hence, the data undergoes an “Explosion”
to several times (or many times) its original size.
Data Extract—Data which normally resides on an
operational system and which is removed from that
system for loading into a data warehouse.
Data Extraction Software—Software that reads one
or more sources of data and creates a new image of the
data.
Data File—A representation of a data entity from the
logical data model that is implemented with a physical
data model. It is a physical file of data that exists in a
database management system, as a computer file out-
side a database management system, or as a manual file
outside a computer that represents a data entity.
Data Flow Diagram—A diagram that shows the
normal flow of data between services as well as the flow
of data between data stores and services.
Data Fragmentation—An unorderly process of
placing data at various data sites. It is not done within
the common data architecture, is not well-managed or
documented, and results in unknown, undocumented,
redundant data.
Data Warehousing Technology Glossary • 13
Data Generalization—The process of creating
successive layers of summary data in an evaluational
database. It is a process of zooming out to get a
broader view of a problem, trend or situation. It is
also known as rolling-up data.
Data Harvesting—See data mining.
Data Integrity—The formal definition of compre-
hensive rules and the consistent application of those
rules to assure high integrity data. It consists of tech-
niques to determine how well data are maintained in
the data resource and to ensure that the data resource
contains data that have high integrity. Data integrity
includes techniques for data value integrity, data
structure integrity, data retention integrity, and data
derivation integrity.
Data Integrity Rule—A statement that defines the
actual data values or coded data values that are allowed.
Data Integrity Value—An actual data value or a
coded data value that is allowed.
Data Key—a set of one or more data characteristics
that have a special meaning and use in addition to
describing a feature or trait of a data subject. Data keys
are important for uniquely identifying data occurrences
in each data subject and for navigating through the data
resource.
Data Layer—A separate and distinct set of related
spatial data that are stored and maintained in a spatial
database. It represents a particular theme or topic of
interest in the real world and is equivalent to a data
subject.
Data Layer Exclusion—The portion of a data layer
extent for which data are not captured and stored. It is
the reverse of a data layer coverage.
Data Loading—The process of populating the data
warehouse. Data loading is provided by DBMS-specific
14 • Data Warehousing Technology Glossary
load processes, DBMS insert processes, and indepen-
dent fastload processes.
Data Management—Controlling, protecting, and
facilitating access to data in order to provide information
consumers with timely access to the data they need. The
functions provided by a database management system.
Data Management Software—Software that
converts data into a unified format by taking derived
data to create new fields, merging files, summarizing
and filtering data; the process of reading data from
operational systems. Data Management Software is
also known as data extraction software.
Data Mapping—The process of assigning a source
data element to a target data element.
Data Mart—A subset of the data resource, usually
oriented to a specific purpose or major data subject,
that may be distributed to support business needs. The
concept of a data mart can apply to any data whether
they are operational data, evaluational data, spatial
data, or metadata.
Data Mining— (1) The process of utilizing the results
of data exploration to adjust or enhance business strate-
gies. It builds on the patterns, trends, and exceptions
found through data exploration to support the business.
It is also known as data harvesting. (2) A technique
using software tools geared for the user who typically
does not know exactly what he’s searching for, but is
looking for particular patterns or trends. Data mining is
the process of sifting through large amounts of data to
produce data content relationships. This is also known
as data surfing.
Data Model—A logical map that represents the
inherent properties of the data independent of soft-
ware, hardware, or machine performance considera-
tions. The model shows data elements grouped into
records, as well as the association around those records.
Data Warehousing Technology Glossary • 15
Data Modeling—A method used to define and ana-
lyze data requirements needed to support the business
functions of an enterprise. These data requirements are
recorded as a conceptual data model with associated
data definitions. Data modeling defines the relationships
between data elements and structures.
Data Naming Convention—A convention estab-
lished to resolve problems with Traditional data names.
Many of these conventions are in use today, such as the
Of Language, entity—attribute—class, role—type—
class, prime—descriptor—class, entity—adjective—
class, entity—attribute—class word, entity—descrip-
tion—class, entity keyword—minor keyword—type key-
word, and entity keyword—descriptor—domain.
Data Normalization—A process to develop the
conceptual schema from the external schema.
Data Optimization—A process that prepares the
logical schema from the data view schema. It is the
counterpart of data deoptimization.
Data Partitioning—(1) The formal process of deter-
mining which data subjects, data occurrence groups,
and data characteristics are needed at each data site.
It is an orderly process for allocating data to data sites
that is done within the same common data architecture.
(2) The process of logically and/or physically partition-
ing data into segments that are more easily maintained
or accessed. Current RDBMS systems provide this kind
of distribution functionality. Partitioning of data aids in
performance and utility processing.
Data Pivot—A process of rotating the view of data.
Data Propagation—The distribution of data from
one or more source data warehouses to one or more
local access databases, according to propagation rules.
Data Quality—Indicates how well data in the data
resource meet the business information demand. Data
16 • Data Warehousing Technology Glossary
quality includes data integrity, data accuracy, and data
completeness.
Data Quality Activity—An activity in the data
architecture component that ensures the maintenance
of high-quality data in an integrated data resource.
Data Quality Process—Documents and improves
data quality by using both the deductive and inductive
techniques. It is a systematic process of examining the
data resource to determine its level of data quality and
ensuring that the data quality is adjusted to the level
necessary to support the business information demand.
Data Redistribution—The process of moving data
replicates from one data site to another to meet business
needs. It is a process that constantly balances data needs,
data volumes, data usage, and the physical operating
environment.
Data Refining—A process that refines disparate data
within a common context to increase the awareness and
understanding of the data, remove data variability and
redundancy, and develop an integrated data resource.
Disparate data are the raw material and an integrated
data resource is the final product.
Data Refreshing—The process of updating active
data replicates based on a regular, known schedule. The
frequency and timing of data refreshing must be estab-
lished to match business needs and must be known by
clients.
Data Replicate—A set of data copied from a data site
and placed at another data site during data replication.
A set of data characteristics from a single data subject
or data occurrence group that is copied from the official
data source and placed at another data site. Data repli-
cates are not the same as redundant data.
Data Warehousing Technology Glossary • 17
Data Replication—(1) A formal process of creating
exact copies of a set of data from the data site contain-
ing the official data source and placing those data in at
other data sites. (2) Data Replication: The process of
copying a portion of a database from one environment
to another and keeping the subsequent copies of the
data in sync with the original source. Changes made to
the original source are propagated to the copies of the
data in other environments.
Data Repository—A logical (and sometimes physical)
partitioning of data where multiple databases which
apply to specific applications or sets of applications
reside. For example, several databases (revenues,
expenses) which support financial applications (A/R,
A/P) could reside in a single financial Data Repository.
Data Resource—A component of information
technology infrastructure that represents all the data
available to an organization, whether they are automat-
ed or nonautomated.
Data Restructuring—The process to restructure
the source data to the target data during data transfor-
mation.
Data Retention Integrity—A subset of data integrity
that specifies criteria for preventing the loss of critical
data through updates or deletion. It considers the future
value of data to determine what data should be retained
and how they should be retained. It looks to the future
to determine the unknown or hidden usefulness of the
data.
Data Scheme—A diagrammatic representation of
the structure of data. It represents any set of data that
is being captured, manipulated, stored, retrieved,
transmitted, or displayed.
Data Schema Concept—A concept that provides a
structure or framework for managing the integrated
data resource.
18 • Data Warehousing Technology Glossary
Data Scrubbing—The process of filtering, merging,
decoding, and translating source data to create validated
data for the data warehouse.
Data Source—A specific data site where data are
stored and can be obtained. Any source of data from
a specific organization, such as a data base or data file.
A data source may include nonautomated data, but it
does not include unpublished documents containing
data.
Data Store—A place where data is stored; data at rest.
A generic term that includes databases and flat files.
Data Structure—A representation of the arrange-
ment, relationship, and contents of data subjects, data
entities, and data files in the common data architecture.
It includes all logical and physical data within the com-
mon data architecture.
Data Structure Component—A component of the
metadata warehouse that contains the structure of data
within the common data architecture.
Data Structure Integrity—A subset of data integrity
that specifies the integrity for data relations.
Data Summarization—The process of summarizing
primitive evaluational data or derived evaluational data
to create more generalized derived evaluational data.
Data Surfing—See Data Mining.
Data Synchronization—The process of identifying
active data replicates and ensuring that data concurrency
is maintained. Also known as data version synchroniza-
tion or data version concurrency because all replicated
data values are consistent with the same version as the
official data.
Data Thesaurus—A component of the metadata
warehouse that contains a set of data name synonyms
to help people locate the particular data they need. It
provides a reference between similar names or business
terms and the common data names.
Data Warehousing Technology Glossary • 19
Data Tracking—The process of tracking data from
their data origin to their current data site.
Data Transfer—The process of moving data from
one environment to another environment. An environ-
ment may be an application system or operating envi-
ronment. See Data Transport.
Data Transformation— (1) The formal process
of transforming data in the data resource within a
common data architecture. It includes transforming dis-
parate data to an integrated data resource, transforming
data within the integrated data resource, and transform-
ing disparate data. It includes transforming operational,
historical, and evaluational data within a common data
architecture. (2) Creating “information” from data.
This includes decoding production data and merging
of records from multiple DBMS formats. It is also
known as data scrubbing or data cleansing.
Data Type—The form of a data value, such as date,
number, string, floating point, packed, and double
precision.
Data Value—The individual facts and figures
contained in data characteristics, data characteristic
variations, data attributes, and data items.
Data Value Integrity—A subset of data integrity
that specifies the allowable values for each data charac-
teristic and each relation between data characteristics
within the common data architecture. Data value
integrity is specified as data integrity values or data
integrity rules.
Data Version Concurrency—See data synchro-
nization.
Data Version Synchronization—See data synchro-
nization.
Data Visualization—The process of creating and
presenting a chart from a set of data based on a set of
20 • Data Warehousing Technology Glossary
attributes. It deals with understanding patterns, trends,
and relationships in historical data, and providing visual
information to the decision maker.
Data Warehouse—(1) A subject oriented, integrated,
time-variant, non-volatile collection of data in support
of management’s decision making process. A repository
of consistent historical data can that can be easily
accessed and manipulated for decision support. (2) An
implementation of an informational database used to
store sharable data sourced from an operational data-
base-of-record. It is typically a subject database that
allows users to tap into a company’s vast store of opera-
tional data to track and respond to business trends and
facilitate forecasting and planning efforts.
Data Warehouse Architecture—An integrated set
of products that enable the extraction and transforma-
tion of operational data to be loaded into a database for
end-user analysis and reporting.
Data Warehouse Engines—Relational databases
(RDBMS) and Multi-dimensional databases (MDBMS).
Data warehouse engines require strong query capabilities,
fast load mechanisms, and large storage requirements.
Data Warehouse Infrastructure—A combination
of technologies and the interaction of technologies that
support a data warehousing environment.
Data Warehouse Management Tools—Software
that extracts and transforms data from operational
systems and loads it into the data warehouse.
Database—A collection of data which are logically
related.
Database Management Systems—A set of
software modules which are used to manipulate and
manage (create, read, update, and delete) data elements
within one or more databases.
Data Warehousing Technology Glossary • 21
Database Schema—The logical and physical defini-
tion of a database structure.
DBA—Database Administrator.
Decentralized Database—A centralized database
that has been partitioned according to a business or
end-user defined subject area. Typically ownership is
also moved to the owners of the subject area.
Decentralized Warehouse—A remote data source
that users can query/access via a central gateway that
provides a logical view of corporate data in terms that
users can understand. The gateway parses and distrib-
utes queries in real time to remote data sources and
returns result sets back to users.
Decision Support—A set of software applications
intended to allow users to search vast stores of informa-
tion for specific reports which are critical for making
management decisions.
Decision Support Processing—See on-line analyti-
cal processing.
Decision Support Systems—Systems which allow
decision makers in organizations to access data relevant
to the decisions they are required to make.
Demographic—A term derived from demos meaning
population and graphein meaning to write or describe.
Literally it means describing populations.
Demographic Data—Any data that locate, identify,
or describe populations. Demographic data can be relat-
ed to the Earth the same as geographic data.
Denormalized Data—Data that have been through
data denormalization. The data in the physical schema
and internal schema.
Denormalized Data Store—A data store that does
not comply to one or more of several normal forms. See
Normalization.
22 • Data Warehousing Technology Glossary
Derived Data—Data that is the result of a computa-
tional step applied to reference or event data. Derived
data is the result either of relating two or more elements
of a single transaction (such as an aggregation), or of
relating one or more elements of a transaction to an
external algorithm or rule.
Disparate Data—Data that are essentially not alike,
or are distinctly different in kind, quality, or character.
They are unequal and cannot be readily integrated to
adequately meet the business information demand.
Disparate data are heterogeneous data.
Disparate Databases—Databases or database
management systems that are not electronically or
operationally compatible. Disparate databases are
known as heterogeneous databases.
Disparate Metadata Cycle—A self-perpetuating
cycle where disparate metadata are being produced
faster than ever before.
Disparate Operational Data—The current-value
operational data that support daily business transactions.
They are the disparate data, including both tabular and
nontabular data, that most organizations currently use
to support their daily business operations.
Distributed Database—A collection of multiple,
logically related databases that is provided to data sites.
Distributed Database Management System—
A software product that manages and maintains the
distributed database and makes it transparent to clients.
Data flow freely over any network or combination of
networks by using one or more network protocols.
Distributed Data Set—A data set from one data
subject or data occurrence group that is distributed.
Drill Down—A method of exploring detailed data
that was used in creating a summary level of data. Drill
down levels depend on the granularity of the data in
the data warehouse.
Data Warehousing Technology Glossary • 23
Drilling Down—The process of viewing data in Enterprise Storage—A shared central repository for
more detail. information, connected to disparate computer systems,
that provides common management, protection and
DSS—See Decision Support System.
information sharing capabilities.
Dual Data Partitioning—The situation where both
Enterprise System Connection Architecture
data occurrence partitioning and data characteristic
(ESCON)—An IBM mainframe channel architecture
partitioning are done on the same data subject. Dual
commonly used to attach storage devices.
data partitioning is common in most data distribution.
Entity Relation Diagram—A data relation diagram
Dynamic Data Distribution—The situation where
that represents the arrangement and relationship of
distributed data need to be continually evaluated and
data entities for the logical data structure. It is also
adjusted to meet the business information demand in
known as an E-R diagram.
an optimum manner.
Entity Relationship Diagramming—A process
Dynamic Queries—Dynamically constructed SQL
that visually identifies the relationships between data
that is usually constructed by desktop-resident query
elements.
tools. Queries that are not pre-processed and are
prepared and executed at run time. Entity Structure Chart—A chart that shows the
existence and structure of data attributes and data
EIS—See Executive Information System.
entities in the common data structure. It directly sup-
End User Data—Data formatted for end-user query ports the entity relation diagram to provide a complete
processing; data created by end users; data provided by representation of the logical data structure.
a data warehouse.
Event—A happening in the real world.
Enterprise—A complete business consisting of func-
Event Frequency—The frequency at which an event
tions, divisions, or other components used to accomplish
occurs or an object changes in the real world.
specific objectives and defined goals.
Executive Information Systems (EIS)—Tools
Enterprise Data—Data that is defined for use across
programmed to provide canned reports or briefing
a corporate environment.
books to top-level executives. They offer strong report-
Enterprise Data Model—A blueprint for all of ing and drill-down capabilities. Today these tools allow
the data used by all departments in the enterprise. An ad-hoc querying against a multi-dimensional database,
Enterprise Data Model has resolved all of the potential and most offer analytical applications along functional
inconsistencies and parochial interpretations of the data lines such as sales or financial analysis.
used and presents a consistent and commonly under-
Existing Data Quality Criteria—The criteria
stood and accepted view and definition of the enterprise
documenting the data quality that currently exists in the
data.
data resource.
Enterprise Data Warehouse—An Enterprise data
External Schema—A schema representing the
warehouse is a Centralized Warehouse which services
structure of data used by applications.
the entire enterprise.

24 • Data Warehousing Technology Glossary Data Warehousing Technology Glossary • 25

Extract—A set of data which resides normally on the
operational systems which is uploaded into the data
warehouse.
Extract Date—The date data was extracted.
Extract Frequency—The latency of data extracts,
such as daily versus weekly, monthly, quarterly, etc.
The frequency that data extracts are needed in the
data warehouse is determined by the shortest frequency
requested through an order, or by the frequency
required to maintain consistency of the other associated
data types in the source data warehouse.
Extract Specification—The standard expectations
of a particular source data warehouse for data extracts
from the operational database system-of-record. A
system-of-record uses an extract specification to retrieve
a snapshot of shared data, and formats the data in the
way specified for updating the data in the source data
warehouse. An extract specification also contains
extract frequency rules for use by the Data Access
environment.
Fact Table—See data focus.
Fastload— A technology that typically replaces a
specific DBMS loadfunction. A fastload technology
obtains significantly faster load times by preprocessing
data and bypassing data integrity checks and logging.
Filters— Saved sets of chosen criteria that specify a
subset of information in a data warehouse.
Foredata—A new term developed from fore, meaning
beforehand, up front, at or near the front. Foredata are
all data about the objects and events, including both
praedata and paradata. Foredata are the upfront data
that an organization sees about objects and events.
Four-Schema Concept—A concept that resolves
problems with the three-schema concept. It includes a
physical schema, a logical schema, a data view schema,
and a business schema.
26 • Data Warehousing Technology Glossary
Functional Data Warehouse—A warehouse that
draws data from nearby operational systems. Each func-
tional warehouse serves a distinct and separate group
(such as a division), functional area (such as manufac-
turing), geographic unit, or product marketing group.
Gateway—A software product that allows SQL-based
applications to access relational and non-relational data
sources.
Generic Data Architecture—A standard architec-
ture for a specific purpose, such as purchase orders or
student registration. It is an attempt to get organizations
to do similar business functions in a similar manner.
Hash—Data allocated in an algorithmically random-
ized fashion in an attempt to evenly distribute data and
smooth access patterns.
Highly Summarized Data—Evaluational data that
are summarized by removing many data characteristics
from the primary key of the data focus. Highly summa-
rized data have coarse granularity.
Historical Database—A database that provides an
historical perspective on the data.
Householding—A methodology of consolidating
names and addresses.
Information—(1) A collection of data that is relevant
to on or more recipients at a point in time. It must be
meaningful and useful to the recipient at a specific time
for a specific purpose. Information is data in context,
data that have meaning, relevance, and purpose.
(2) Data that has been processed in such a way that it
can increase the knowledge of the person who receives
it. Information is the output, or “finished goods,” of
information systems. Information is also what individuals
start with before it is fed into a Data Capture transaction
processing system.
Data Warehousing Technology Glossary • 27
Information Consumer—A person or software
service that uses data to create information.
Information Needs Analysis—The identification
and analysis of the needs for information required to
satisfy a particular business driver.
Information Systems—A component of information
technology infrastructure that represents the implemen-
tation of business activities, using the data resource, and
residing on the platform resource.
Integration—Used here in the broad sense to mean
the transformation of disparate data into an integrated
data resource.
Integrated Historical Data—Integrated operational
data that have either been archived as individual data
values or as full records from integrated operational
data or are disparate operational or disparate historical
data that have been transformed to the integrated data
resource.
Integrated Operational Data—Subject-oriented,
integrated, time-current, volatile collection of data that
support an organization’s daily business activities. They
are also know as operational data stores.
Intelligent Agent—A software routine that waits in
the background and performs an action when a speci-
fied event occurs. For example, agents could transmit a
summary file on the first day of the month or monitor
incoming data and alert the user when certain transac-
tions have arrived.
Intuitive Data Warehouse—A data warehouse that
tracks the analysis performed on evaluational data, adds
or suggests the addition of permanent data subjects
or queries based on frequency of use, and deletes or
suggests the deletion of summary data subjects and
queries based on a lack of use.
28 • Data Warehousing Technology Glossary
Knowledge—Information that is retained with an
understanding about the significance of that information.
It is knowing something gained by experience, study,
familiarity, association, awareness, or comprehension.
Legacy Data—Another term for disparate data
because they support legacy systems.
Lightly Summarized Data—Evaluational data
that are summarized by removing one, or a few, data
characteristic from the primary key of the data focus.
Lightly summarized data have fine granularity.
Limited Primary Key—A primary key whose
uniqueness is limited to a subset of the data occurrences
within the scope of the common data architecture.
Local Area Network (LAN)—(1) A network covering
a relatively small geographic area (usually not larger
than a floor or small building). Compared to WANs,
LANs are usually characterized by relatively high data
rates. (2) Network permitting transmission and commu-
nication between hardware devices, usually in one
building or complex.
Logical Data Model—(1) A data model that repre-
sents the normalized design of data needed to support
an information system. Data are drawn from the com-
mon data model and normalized to support the design
of a specific information system. (2) Actual implementa-
tion of a conceptual module in a database. It may take
multiple logical data models to implement one concep-
tual data model.
Manageability—The collective processes of storage
configuration, optimization and administration includ-
ing backup and recovery and business continuance.
Metadata—(1) Traditionally, metadata were data
about the data. In the common data architecture meta-
data are all data describing the foredata, including meta-
praedata and the meta-paradata. They are data that
Data Warehousing Technology Glossary • 29
come after or behind the foredata and support the
foredata. (2) Metadata is data about data. Examples of
metadata include data element descriptions, data type
descriptions, attribute/property descriptions, range/
domain descriptions, and process/method descriptions.
The repository environment encompasses all corporate
metadata resources: database catalogs, data dictionaries,
and navigation services. Metadata includes things like
the name, length, valid values, and description of a data
element. Metadata is stored in a data dictionary and
repository. It insulates the data warehouse from changes
in the schema of operational systems.
Metadata Synchronization—The process of
consolidating, relating, and synchronizing data elements
with the same or similar meaning from different systems.
Metadata synchronization joins these differing elements
together in the data warehouse to allow for easier access.
Metadata Warehouse—A database that contains
the common metadata and client-friendly search routines
to help people fully understand and utilize the data
resource. It contains common metadata about the data
resource in a single organization or an integrated data
resource that crosses multiple disciplines and multiple
jurisdictions. It contains a history of the data resource,
what the data initially represented, and what they
represent now.
Methodology—A system of principles, practices, and
procedures applied to a specific branch of knowledge.
Middleware—A communications layer that allows
applications to interact across hardware and network
environments.
Mini Marts—A small subset of a data warehouse
used by a small number of users. A mini mart is a very
focused slice of a larger data warehouse.
Massive Parallel Processing ( MPP)—The
“shared nothing” approach of parallel computing.
30 • Data Warehousing Technology Glossary
Multi-Dimensional Analysis—Informational
Analysis on data which takes into account many differ-
ent relationships, each of which represents a dimension.
For example, a retail analyst may want to understand
the relationships among sales by region, by quarter, by
demographic distribution (income, education level,
gender), by product. Multi-dimensional analysis will
yield results for these complex relationships.
Multi-Dimensional Database— (1) A database
which has been constructed with the multiple dimensions
pre-filled in hyper dimensional “cubes” of data rather
than the traditional two dimensional tables of Relational
Databases. (2) A database concept designed for decision
support systems in which related data is stored in multi-
dimensional “hypercubes”. This data organization
allows for sophisticated and complex queries and can
provide superior performance in certain cases over
traditional relational structures.
Multiple Dimension Analysis—See multiple
dimension processing.
Multiple Dimension Processing—On-line
analytical processing for decision support that uses a
combination of single dimension and multiple dimen-
sion data subjects. It is also referred to as static data
analysis because the data values do not change. It is
also known as multiple dimensional analysis.
Multi-dimensional Database (MDBS and
MDBMS)—A powerful database that lets users analyze
large amounts of data. An MDBS captures and presents
data as arrays that can be arranged in multiple dimen-
sions.
Network-Driven Data Distribution—The situation
where the existence of a data site on a telecommunica-
tions network drives the distribution of data to the data
site to support a business need.
Data Warehousing Technology Glossary • 31
Normalization—The process of reducing a complex
data structure into its simplest, most stable structure. In
general, the process entails the removal of redundant
attributes, keys, and relationships from a conceptual
data model.
Normalized Data—Data that have been through
data normalization. The data in the data view schema
and the external schema.
ODBC—Open Database Connectivity. A standard for
database access co-opted by Microsoft from the SQL
Access Group consortium.
OLAP—See On-Line Analytical Processing.
OLTP—See On-Line Transaction Processing.
Operational Database—The database-of-record,
consisting of system-specific reference data and event
data belonging to a transaction-update system. It may
also contain system control data such as indicators,
flags, and counters. The operational database is the
source of data for the data warehouse. It contains
detailed data used to run the day-to-day operations of
the business. The data continually changes as updates
are made, and reflect the current value of the last
transaction.
Operational Data Store (ODS)—An ODS is an
integrated database of operational data. Its sources
include legacy systems and it contains current or near
term data. An ODS may contain 30 to 60 days of
information, while a data warehouse typically contains
years of data.
On-Line Analytical Processing—Processing that
supports the analysis of business trends and projections.
It is also known as decision support processing and OLAP
On-Line Transaction Processing—Processing that
supports the daily business operations. Also know as
operational processing and OLTP.
32 • Data Warehousing Technology Glossary
Operational Data—Data used in the operational
processing of business transactions that support day-to-
day business operations. They are detailed, largely
primitive data necessary to keep the organization
operating.
Operational Data Stores—Data which is kept to
support Operational Applications. This class of data is
usually transaction oriented.
Operational Metadata—Metadata about opera-
tional data.
Optimized Data—Data that have been through
data optimization. The data in the logical schema and
conceptual schema.
Parallelism—The ability to perform functions in
parallel.
Physical Data Model—A data model that represents
the denormalized physical implementation of data that
support an information system. The logical data model
is denormalized to a physical data model according to
specific criteria that do not compromise the logical data
model but allow the database to operate efficiently in a
specific operating environment.
Population—See Data Loading and Data Replication.
Primary Data Source—The first data site where the
original data are stored after their origination.
Primary Key—A set of one or more data character-
istics whose value uniquely identifies each data occur-
rence in a data subject. A primary key is also known as
a unique identifier.
Propagated Data—Data that is transferred from a
data source to one or more target environments accord-
ing to propagation rules. Data propagation is normally
based on transaction logic.
Query—A (usually) complex SELECT statement for
decision support. See Ad-Hoc Query.
Data Warehousing Technology Glossary • 33
Query Response Times—The time it takes for the
warehouse engine to process a complex query across a
large volume of data and return the results to the
requester.
Query Tools—Software that allows a user to create
and direct specific questions to a database. These tools
provide the means for pulling the desired information
from a database. They are typically SQL-based tools
and allow a user to define data in end-user language.
R Tree—A balanced tree indexing technique applied
to databases of geometric objects, used to find shapes in
a graphical file structure.
RDBMS—Relational Database Management System.
Redundancy—The storage of multiple copies of
identical data.
Redundancy Control—Management of a distributed
data environment to limit excessive copying, update,
and transmission costs associated with multiple copies
of the same data. Data replication is a strategy for
redundancy control with the intention to improve
performance.
Redundant Data—The situation where the same
data characteristic exists at two or more data sites.
Redundant data are created, stored, and maintained
independent of each other and are often unknown to
the organization.
Redundant Data Diagram—A diagram that speci-
fies the data characteristics representing the official data
source and the redundant data characteristics that
should be maintained from that official data source.
Redundant Data Integrity—The process of identi-
fying, documenting, and maintaining redundant data
until the redundancy can be eliminated or reduced to
a manageable level.
34 • Data Warehousing Technology Glossary
Reference Data—Business data that has a consistent
meaning and definition and is used for reference and
validation (Process, Person, Vendor, and Customer, for
example). Reference data is fundamental to the opera-
tion of the business. The data is used for transaction
validation by the data capture environment, decision
support systems, and for representation of business rules.
Its source for distribution and use is a data warehouse.
Refining—A process that removes impurities from
crude or impure material to form useful products, such
as refining crude oil.
Replicated Data—Data that is copied from a data
source to one or more target environments based on
replication rules. Replicated data can consist of full
tables or rectangular extracts.
Replication—The process of keeping a copy of data,
either through shadowing or caching.
Repository—A location, physical or logical, where
databases supporting similar classes of applications are
stored.
Return on Investment—A financial measure used to
quantify the desirability of promoting a particular effort.
Return on Investment compares the benefits returned
to the enterprise against the cost required to implement
it. It is usually expressed as a ratio.
Reverse Data Denormalization—A process that
transforms the physical schema to the distribution
schema. It undoes the database to its distributed schema
or to the logical schema if there is no data distribution.
Reverse Data Modeling—Movement from the
physical schema to the distribution schema to the logi-
cal schema to the data view schema to the business
schema.
Roll Up Queries—Queries that summarize data at a
level higher than the previous level of detail.
Data Warehousing Technology Glossary • 35
Rolling-Up Data—See data generalization.
Scalability—(1) The ability to scale to support larger
or smaller volumes of data and more or less users.
The ability to increase or decrease size or capability in
cost-effective increments with minimal impact on the
unit cost of business and the procurement of additional
services. (2) The ability of a system to accommodate
increases in demand by upgrading and/or expanding
existing components, as opposed to meeting those
increased demands by implementing a new system.
Schema—(1) A diagrammatic representation of the
structure or framework of something. (2) The logical
and physical definition of data elements, physical
characteristics and inter-relationships.
Secondary Data Site—A data site where data may
be moved after their origination.
Secondary Data Source—Any data site where data
acquired from another data site are stored without
alteration or modification. The data for a secondary
data source may come from a primary data source or
another secondary data source. If data are altered or
modified in any way at a data site, that data site
becomes a primary data source for those new data.
Server—A service that provides standard functions for
clients in response to standard messages from clients.
Note: A commonly used definition of server also
refers to the physical computer from which services
are provided.
Small Computer System Interface (SCSI)—
A standard for connecting peripheral devices to com-
puters. The standard defines a physical connection
scheme as well as a set of protocols for controlling the
flow of data across the interface.
Soft Data—The opinions, comments, explanations,
observations, and evaluations about the business. Soft
36 • Data Warehousing Technology Glossary
data enhance the value of the hard data and support
more informed decisions.
Spatial Data—A type of nontabular data with a
spatial component that allows them to be precisely
located on some base, such as the Earth. Sometimes
referred to as aspatial data. Includes both geospatial
data and structospatial data.
Spatial Data Hierarchy—A data subject hierarchy
for defining spatial data themes and subthemes that
includes both current and future spatial data needs.
SQL (Structured Query Language)—A structured
query language for accessing relational, ODBC, DRDA,
or non-relational compliant database systems.
SQL Query Tool—An end-user tool that accepts
SQL to be processed against one or more relational
databases.
Standard Query—A stored procedure of a recently
executed query. Technically, a standard query may be
stored on the desktop as “canned” SQL and passed as
dynamic SQL to the server database to execute. This is
undesirable unless the stored query is seldom executed.
Star Schema—A database design characterized by its
simplicity, allowing users to navigate through the data
easily, and its rapid response time. Unlike traditional
relational schemas, normalization is not a goal of star
schema design. Star schemas are usually divided into
fact tables and dimensional tables, where the dimen-
sional tables supply supporting information, such as the
demographics of the buyers who made up the entries in
the primary fact table.
Static Query—A stored, parameterized procedure,
optimized for access to a particular data warehouse.
Storage Array—A collection of disks (usually a disk
subsystem) combined with array management software
that controls the disks and presents them as one or
more virtual (logical) disks.
Data Warehousing Technology Glossary • 37
Striping—A RAID technique which breaks up blocks
of data into parallel “stripes” which are stored on
different disks in order to enhance performance.
Summarization Tables—These tables are created
along commonly used access dimensions to speed query
performance, although the redundancies increase the
amount of data in the warehouse. See Aggregate Data.
Systems Architecture—One of the four layers of the
information systems architecture. The systems architec-
ture represents the definitions and inter-relationships
between applications and the product architecture.
Table Partitioning—The process of identifying the
tables needed at each data site.
Tactical Data Warehouse Development—The
process of selecting a portion of an enterprise and
implementing a data warehouse. The process includes
constructing a data model for the area, determining the
data warehouse architecture, constructing the physical
model, and populating the warehouse database. It also
includes creating or buying the applications to access
the data warehouse, prototyping the tactical warehouses
(access definitions, views, etc.), and incorporating end-
user feedback.
Target Database—The database in which data will
be loaded or inserted.
Temporal—Related to, concerned with, or limited by
time. It is derived from tempus, meaning time.
Temporal Data—Any data that represent a point
in time or a time interval. They are data with a time
component.
Temporal Database—A database that has the capa-
bility to store temporal data and manage data based on
those temporal data. It can recreate data values for past
or future dates based on the temporal data values. These
databases are also known as time-relational databases.
38 • Data Warehousing Technology Glossary
Transaction—The occurrence of two or more related
actions which result in a transfer from one party to
another, or from each party to the other. Transactions
include order entry, point of sale exchanges, teller
machines, etc.
Update—One of the four actions associated with data:
CRUD—Create, Read, Update, and Delete. Not
allowed in a data warehouse because a data warehouse
depends on a time series of data.
Versioning—The ability for a single definition to main-
tain information about multiple physical instantiations.
Vertical Data Aggregation—The summarization of
data to higher levels of generalization.
Vertical Data Layer Aggregation—The combina-
tion of two or more data layers to form a more
enhanced data layer. Aggregation may occur with either
geospatial data layers or structospatial data layers.
Vertical Data Modeling—The process of moving
through the logical schema, tactical schema, and strategic
schema. Transforming a general schema to a more
detailed schema is a specialization process, and trans-
forming a detailed schema to a more general schema
is a generalization process.
Warehouse Business Directory—Provides business
professionals access to the data warehouse by browsing
a catalog of contents.
Warehouse Technical Directory—Defines and
manages an information life cycle, a definition of ware-
house construction, change management, impact analy-
sis, distribution, and operation of a warehouse.
Data Warehousing Technology Glossary • 39
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 This Technology Guide is one

of a series of guides, published

by ATG, designed to put complex

data warehousing concepts into

practical and understandable terms.

Each guide provides objective,

non-biased information to assist in

the internal education, evaluation

and decision making process.

This Technology Guide, as well

as the other Data Warehousing

Technology Guides in the series,

are available on ATG‘s Web Site.

www.techguide.com

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