Data Warehouse Glossary #3

Drill Through:
Data analysis that goes from an OLAP cube into the relational database.

Data Warehousing:
The process of designing, building, and maintaining a data warehouse system.

Conformed Dimension:
A dimension that has exactly the same meaning and content when being referred from different fact tables.

Central Warehouse
A database created from operational extracts that adheres to a single, consistent, enterprise data model to ensure consistency of decision-support data across the corporation. A style of computing where all the information systems are located and managed from a single physical location.

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, creating a system data model, defining and designing a data warehouse architecture, constructing the physical database, and lastly populating the warehouses database.

Data Access Tools
An end-user oriented tool that allows users to build SQL queries by pointing and clicking on a list of tables and fields in the data warehouse.

Data Analysis and Presentation Tools
Software that provides a logical view of data in a warehouse. Some create simple aliases for table and column names; others create data that identify the contents and location of data in the warehouse.

Data Dictionary
A database about data and database structures. A catalog of all data elements, containing their names, structures, and information about their usage. A central location for metadata. Normally, data dictionaries are designed to store a limited set of available metadata, concentrating on the information relating to the data elements, databases, files and programs of implemented systems.

Data Warehouse Architecture
An integrated set of products that enable the extraction and transformation of operational data to be loaded into a database for end-user analysis and reporting.

Data Warehouse Architecture Development
A SOFTWARE AG service program that provides an architecture for a data warehouse that is aligned with the needs of the business. This program identifies and designs a warehouse implementation increment and ensures the required infrastructure, skill sets, and other data warehouse foundational aspects are in place for a Data Warehouse Incremental Delivery.

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 Incremental Delivery
A SOFTWARE AG program that delivers one data warehouse increment from design review through implementation.

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.

Data Warehouse Network
An industry organization for know-how exchange. SOFTWARE AG was the first vendor member of the Data Warehouse Network.

Functional Data Warehouse
A warehouse that draws data from nearby operational systems. Each functional warehouse serves a distinct and separate group (such as a division), functional area (such as manufacturing), geographic unit, or product marketing group.

OLTP
On-Line Transaction Processing. OLTP describes the requirements for a system that is used in an operational environment.

Scalability
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.

Schema
The logical and physical definition of data elements, physical characteristics and inter-relationships.

Slice and Dice
A term used to describe a complex data analysis function provided by MDBMS tools.

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 warehouse construction, change management, impact analysis, distribution and operation of a warehouse.

Transformers
Rules applied to change data.