Data Warehouse Concepts

Contents

Data & Information

Introduction to Data warehouse (DWH)

Characteristics of DWH

Operational System Vs DWH

DWH Architectures

Data Marts

Metadata
 Data & Information

A fundamental concept of data warehouse is
the distinction between data and
information.

Data is composed of observable and
recordable facts that are often found in
operational or transactional systems.

In a data warehouse environment, data only
comes to have value to end-users when it is
organized and presented as information.

Information is an integrated collection of
facts and is used as the basis for decision
making.
 Introduction to Data Warehouse

Definitions:


"A data warehouse is a subject oriented,
integrated, time-variant, non volatile
collection of data in support of management's
decision making process".


A data warehouse is a relational database that is
designed for query and analysis rather than for
transaction processing.


A Data Warehouse is a structured repository
(Subject Oriented) of Historic Data.

Data warehouses separate analysis part
from transactional part and enables the
organization to collect data from several
sources.
 Characteristics of Data
Warehouse
Data Warehouse is usually:

Subject Oriented

Integrated

Non-Volatile

Time-Variant

Accessible & Process Oriented
 Subject Oriented

Sales

Marketing
DWH

Finance

Information
Information isis presented
presented according
according to
to specific
specific subjects
subjects or
or
areas
areas of
of interest.
interest.



Data
Data is
is manipulated
manipulated toto provide
provide information
information about
about aa particular
particular
subject.
subject.
 Integrated
Operational Systems DWH

Appln A – m/f m/f



Appln B – 1/0



Appln C – Male/Female

Appln A – Bal_On_Hand

Appln B – Current_Balance Current_Balance

Appln C – Cash_On_Hand

Though the data in the data warehouses is scattered around

different tables, databases or even servers but the data is
integrated consistently in the values of variables, naming
conventions and physical data definitions (datatype).
 Time-Variant
Operational Systems DWH

View of Business Today
Designated Time Frame

(3 – 10 years).

DWH stores historical
data.

Contains
Contains aa history
history of
of the
the subject,
subject, as
as well
well as
as current
current
information.
information.



Historical
Historical information
information isis an
an important
important component
component ofof aa data
data
warehouse.
warehouse.
 Non-Volatile
Operational Systems DWH
Insert Read
Create
Load Read
Read

Read Read
Update

Delete Read
Read Only

Stable
Stable information
information that
that doesn’t
doesn’t change
change each
each time
time an
an
operational
operational process
process is
is executed.
executed. Information
Information is is consistent
consistent
regardless
regardless of
of when
when the
the warehouse
warehouse is is accessed.
accessed.



There
There exist
exist only
only two
two operations
operations –– time
time based
based loading
loading of
of data,
data,
accessing
accessing the
the loaded
loaded data.
data.
Accessible & Process Oriented

Accessible: The primary purpose of a

data warehouse is to provide readily
accessible information to end-users.

Process-Oriented: It is important to
view data warehousing as a process for
delivery of information.
 Operational System Vs Data
Warehouse
Operational System Data Warehouse

Characteristics Data Focused, Subject Oriented,

Transaction Integrated,
Processing focused Non-Volatile,
system. Time-Variant.
Age of the data Current, Near-term Historic (Last month,
(Today, Last week). Quarterly, Five
years).
Primary Use Day-to-day Long-term decisions,
decisions, Current Reporting, Trend
operational results. detection.

Frequency of load Twice daily, Daily, Weekly, Monthly,

Weekly. Quarterly.
 DWH Architectures

Data Warehouse Architecture (Basic)

Data Warehouse Architecture (with a
Staging Area)

Data Warehouse Architecture (with a
Staging Area and Data Marts)
 DWH Architectures (contd..)
Operational Data Warehouse Users
Systems
Data Storing Data Access
Data Extraction

Operational
Analysis
System Meta
Data
Data
Transformation
DWH
Reporting

Data Loading

Legacy
Systems
Mining



Data Warehouse Architecture (Basic)
 DWH Architectures (contd..)
Operational Data Warehouse Users
Systems
Data Storing Data Access
Data Extraction

Operational
Analysis
System Staging Meta
Area Data
Data
Transformation
DWH
Reporting

Data Loading

Legacy
Systems
Mining



Data Warehouse Architecture (with a Staging
Area)
 DWH Architectures (contd..)
Operational Data Warehouse Users
Systems Data Marts
Data Storing Data Access
Data
Extraction
Operational
Analysis
System Meta
Staging Sales
Data
Area
Data
Transformation
DWH
Marketing Reporting

Data
Loading
Legacy
Systems Finance
Mining



Data Warehouse Architecture (with a Staging Area
and Data Marts)
 Data Marts

Data Marts:



Data mart is a subset of DWH.

A data mart is a specialized version of a DWH.

A data mart configuration emphasizes easy access

to relevant information.

DWH

Data Marts
 Data Marts (contd..)

Dependent data mart: Data can be

derived from an enterprise-wide data
warehouse.

Independent data mart: Data can be
collected directly from sources.
 Data Marts (contd..)

Reasons for creating a Data mart

Eases access to frequently needed data

Creates collective view by a group of users

Improves end-user response time

Ease of creation

Lower cost than implementing a full Data
warehouse
 Metadata

Metadata:



Metadata is data about data.

Something can be data and metadata at the same


time.

It is possible to create meta-meta-...-metadata.

Metadata is used to speed up and enrich

searching for resources.



E.g: Browsers automatically download and locally
cache metadata, to improve the speed at which
files can be accessed and searched.
Questions ?
Thank You !