Are you still clueless on determining whether a database is a data warehouse or a regular transactional database? If so, then you'll want to read on and find out 5 defining features of data warehouse. In this article we will discuss the features, which includes subject-oriented, integrated, time-variant, non-volatile and data granularity. After reading this article, you'll be able to differentiate operational database with data warehouse by analyzing these features.
Subject-oriented
In transactional database, data are stored by in individual programs. In the data sets for an order processing application, we keep the data for that particular application. These data sets provide the data for all the functions for entering orders, checking stock, verifying customer's credit, and assigning the order for shipment. But these data sets contain only the data that is needed for those functions relating to this particular application. We will have some data sets containing data about individual orders, customers, stock status, and detailed transactions, but all of these are structured around the processing of orders.
On the contrary, in a data warehouse, instead of being stored by applications, data is stored by business subjects. What is business subjects? Well, the definition is different from enterprise to enterprise. These are the subjects critical for the enterprise. For a manufacturing company, sales, shipments, and inventory are critical business subjects. For a retail store, sales at the check-out counter is a critical subject.
Integrated
For proper decision making, you need to pull together all the relevant data from the various applications. The data in the data warehouse comes from several operational systems.Source data are in different databases, files, and data segments. These are disparate applications, so the operational platforms and operating systems could be different. The file layouts, character code representations, and field naming conventions all could be different.
In addition to data from internal operational systems, for many enterprises, data from outside sources is likely to be very important. Companies such as Metro Mail, A. C. Nielsen, and IRI specialize in providing vital data on a regular basis. Your data warehouse may need data from such sources. This is one more variation in the mix of source data for a data warehouse.
Before the data from various disparate sources can be usefully stored in a data warehouse, you have to remove the inconsistencies. You have to standardize the various data elements and make sure of the meanings of data names in each source application. Before moving the data into the data warehouse, you have to go through a process of transformation, consolidation, and integration of the source data.
Time-variant
For an operational system, the stored data contains the current values. In an accounts receivable system, the balance is the current outstanding balance in the customer's account. In an order entry system, the status of an order is the current status of the order. In a consumer loans application, the balance amount owed by the customer is the current amount. Of course, we store some past transactions in operational systems, but, essentially, operational systems reflect current information because these systems support day-to-day current operations.
On the other hand, the data in the data warehouse is meant for analysis and decision making. If a user is looking at the buying pattern of a specific customer, the user needs data not only about the current purchase, but on the past purchases as well. When a user wants to find out the reason for the drop in sales in the North East division, the user needs all the sales data for that division over a period extending back in time. When an analyst in a grocery chain wants to promote two or more products together, that analyst wants sales of the selected products over a number of past quarters.
A data warehouse, because of the very nature of its purpose, has to contain historical data, not just current values. Data is stored as snapshots over past and current periods. Every data structure in the data warehouse contains the time element. You will find historical snapshots of the operational data in the data warehouse. This aspect of the data warehouse is quite significant for both the design and the implementation phases.
Nonvolatile
Data extracted from the various operational systems and pertinent data obtained from outside sources are transformed, integrated, and stored in the data warehouse. The data in the data warehouse is not intended to run the day-to-day business. When you want to process the next order received from a customer, you do not look into the data warehouse to find the current stock status. The operational order entry application is meant for that purpose. In the data warehouse, you keep the extracted stock status data as snapshots over time. You do not update the data warehouse every time you process a single order.
Data from the operational systems are moved into the data warehouse at specific intervals. Depending on the requirements of the business, these data movements take place twice a day, once a day, once a week, or once in two weeks. In fact, in a typical data warehouse, data movements to different data sets may take place at different frequencies. The changes to the attributes of the products may be moved once a week. Any revisions to geographical setup may be moved once a month. The units of sales may be moved once a day. You plan and schedule the data movements or data loads based on the requirements of your users.
Data Granularity
In an operational system, data is usually kept at the lowest level of detail. In a point-of-sale system for a grocery store, the units of sale are captured and stored at the level of units of a product per transaction at the check-out counter. In an order entry system, the quantity ordered is captured and stored at the level of units of a product per order received from the customer. Whenever you need summary data, you add up the individual transactions. If you are looking for units of a product ordered this month, you read all the orders entered for the entire month for that product and add up. You do not usually keep summary data in an operational system.
When a user queries the data warehouse for analysis, he or she usually starts by looking at summary data. The user may start with total sale units of a product in an entire region. Then the user may want to look at the breakdown by states in the region. The next step may be the examination of sale units by the next level of individual stores. Frequently, the analysis begins at a high level and moves down to lower levels of detail.
In a data warehouse, therefore, you find it efficient to keep data summarized at different levels. Depending on the query, you can then go to the particular level of detail and satisfy the query. Data granularity in a data warehouse refers to the level of detail. The lower the level of detail, the finer the data granularity. Of course, if you want to keep data in the lowest level of detail, you have to store a lot of data in the data warehouse. You will have to decide on the granularity levels based on the data types and the expected system performance for queries. - 29875
Subject-oriented
In transactional database, data are stored by in individual programs. In the data sets for an order processing application, we keep the data for that particular application. These data sets provide the data for all the functions for entering orders, checking stock, verifying customer's credit, and assigning the order for shipment. But these data sets contain only the data that is needed for those functions relating to this particular application. We will have some data sets containing data about individual orders, customers, stock status, and detailed transactions, but all of these are structured around the processing of orders.
On the contrary, in a data warehouse, instead of being stored by applications, data is stored by business subjects. What is business subjects? Well, the definition is different from enterprise to enterprise. These are the subjects critical for the enterprise. For a manufacturing company, sales, shipments, and inventory are critical business subjects. For a retail store, sales at the check-out counter is a critical subject.
Integrated
For proper decision making, you need to pull together all the relevant data from the various applications. The data in the data warehouse comes from several operational systems.Source data are in different databases, files, and data segments. These are disparate applications, so the operational platforms and operating systems could be different. The file layouts, character code representations, and field naming conventions all could be different.
In addition to data from internal operational systems, for many enterprises, data from outside sources is likely to be very important. Companies such as Metro Mail, A. C. Nielsen, and IRI specialize in providing vital data on a regular basis. Your data warehouse may need data from such sources. This is one more variation in the mix of source data for a data warehouse.
Before the data from various disparate sources can be usefully stored in a data warehouse, you have to remove the inconsistencies. You have to standardize the various data elements and make sure of the meanings of data names in each source application. Before moving the data into the data warehouse, you have to go through a process of transformation, consolidation, and integration of the source data.
Time-variant
For an operational system, the stored data contains the current values. In an accounts receivable system, the balance is the current outstanding balance in the customer's account. In an order entry system, the status of an order is the current status of the order. In a consumer loans application, the balance amount owed by the customer is the current amount. Of course, we store some past transactions in operational systems, but, essentially, operational systems reflect current information because these systems support day-to-day current operations.
On the other hand, the data in the data warehouse is meant for analysis and decision making. If a user is looking at the buying pattern of a specific customer, the user needs data not only about the current purchase, but on the past purchases as well. When a user wants to find out the reason for the drop in sales in the North East division, the user needs all the sales data for that division over a period extending back in time. When an analyst in a grocery chain wants to promote two or more products together, that analyst wants sales of the selected products over a number of past quarters.
A data warehouse, because of the very nature of its purpose, has to contain historical data, not just current values. Data is stored as snapshots over past and current periods. Every data structure in the data warehouse contains the time element. You will find historical snapshots of the operational data in the data warehouse. This aspect of the data warehouse is quite significant for both the design and the implementation phases.
Nonvolatile
Data extracted from the various operational systems and pertinent data obtained from outside sources are transformed, integrated, and stored in the data warehouse. The data in the data warehouse is not intended to run the day-to-day business. When you want to process the next order received from a customer, you do not look into the data warehouse to find the current stock status. The operational order entry application is meant for that purpose. In the data warehouse, you keep the extracted stock status data as snapshots over time. You do not update the data warehouse every time you process a single order.
Data from the operational systems are moved into the data warehouse at specific intervals. Depending on the requirements of the business, these data movements take place twice a day, once a day, once a week, or once in two weeks. In fact, in a typical data warehouse, data movements to different data sets may take place at different frequencies. The changes to the attributes of the products may be moved once a week. Any revisions to geographical setup may be moved once a month. The units of sales may be moved once a day. You plan and schedule the data movements or data loads based on the requirements of your users.
Data Granularity
In an operational system, data is usually kept at the lowest level of detail. In a point-of-sale system for a grocery store, the units of sale are captured and stored at the level of units of a product per transaction at the check-out counter. In an order entry system, the quantity ordered is captured and stored at the level of units of a product per order received from the customer. Whenever you need summary data, you add up the individual transactions. If you are looking for units of a product ordered this month, you read all the orders entered for the entire month for that product and add up. You do not usually keep summary data in an operational system.
When a user queries the data warehouse for analysis, he or she usually starts by looking at summary data. The user may start with total sale units of a product in an entire region. Then the user may want to look at the breakdown by states in the region. The next step may be the examination of sale units by the next level of individual stores. Frequently, the analysis begins at a high level and moves down to lower levels of detail.
In a data warehouse, therefore, you find it efficient to keep data summarized at different levels. Depending on the query, you can then go to the particular level of detail and satisfy the query. Data granularity in a data warehouse refers to the level of detail. The lower the level of detail, the finer the data granularity. Of course, if you want to keep data in the lowest level of detail, you have to store a lot of data in the data warehouse. You will have to decide on the granularity levels based on the data types and the expected system performance for queries. - 29875
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