CCS431 DATA WAREHOUSING

2 MARK QUESTION AND ANSWERS-UNIT1

Data warehouse Introduction - Data warehouse components- operational database Vs data

Warehouse – Data warehouse Architecture – Three-tier Data Warehouse Architecture – AutonomousData Warehouse-
Autonomous Data Warehouse Vs Snowflake - Modern Data Warehouse

1.What is a Data Warehouse?

A Data Warehouse (DW) is a relational database that is designed for query and analysis rather than
transaction processing. It includes historical data derived from transaction data from single and multiple sources.

2.Key features/Characteristics of Data Warehouse?

Data Warehouse is a subject-oriented, integrated, and time-variant store of information in support of

management's decisions.

3. Goals of Data Warehouse?

o To help reporting as well as analysis.

o Maintain the organization's historical information.
o Be the foundation for decision making.

4. Need for Data Warehouse?

1. Business User: Business users require a data warehouse to view summarized data from the past. Since these
people are non-technical, the data may be presented to them in an elementary form.
2. Store historical data: Data Warehouse is required to store the time variable data from the past. This input is
made to be used for various purposes.
3. Make strategic decisions: Some strategies may be depending upon the data in the data warehouse. So, data
warehouse contributes to making strategic decisions.
4. For data consistency and quality: Bringing the data from different sources at a commonplace, the user can
effectively undertake to bring the uniformity and consistency in data.
5. High response time: Data warehouse has to be ready for somewhat unexpected loads and types of queries,
which demands a significant degree of flexibility and quick response time.

5. Benefits of Data Warehouse?

1. Data Warehouses are designed to perform well enormous amounts of data.

2. The structure of data warehouses is more accessible for end-users to navigate, understand, and query.
3. Queries that would be complex in many normalized databases could be easier to build and maintain in data
warehouses.
4. Data warehousing is an efficient method to manage demand for lots of information from lots of users.
 5. Data warehousing provide the capabilities to analyze a large amount of historical data.

6. Components or Building blocks of Data Warehouse?

o Source data Component

o Data staging Component
o Management and Control
o Meta data Component
o Data Warehouse DBMS
o Data Storage Component
o Information Delivery Component
o Data Mart
o Management and control Component

7. Difference between Database and Data Warehouse?

Database Data Warehouse

1. It is used for Online Transactional Processing 1. It is used for Online Analytical Processing (OLAP).
(OLTP) but can be used for other objectives such as This reads the historical information for the customers
Data Warehousing. This records the data from the for business decisions.
clients for history.

2. The tables and joins are complicated since they are 2. The tables and joins are accessible since they are de-
normalized for RDBMS. This is done to reduce normalized. This is done to minimize the response
redundant files and to save storage space. time for analytical queries.

3. Data is dynamic 3. Data is largely static

4. Entity: Relational modeling procedures are used 4. Data: Modeling approach are used for the Data
for RDBMS database design. Warehouse design.

5. Optimized for write operations. 5. Optimized for read operations.

6. Performance is low for analysis queries. 6. High performance for analytical queries.

7. The database is the place where the data is taken 7. Data Warehouse is the place where the application
as a base and managed to get available fast and data is handled for analysis and reporting objectives.
efficient access.

8. Difference between Operational Database and Data Warehouse?

Operational Database Data Warehouse

Operational systems are designed to support high-volume transaction Data warehousing systems are typically
processing. designed to support high-volume analytical
processing (i.e., OLAP).
 Operational systems are usually concerned with current data. Data warehousing systems are usually
concerned with historical data.

Data within operational systems are mainly updated regularly according Non-volatile, new data may be added
to need. regularly. Once Added rarely changed.

It is designed for real-time business dealing and processes. It is designed for analysis of business
measures by subject area, categories, and
attributes.

9.Data Warehouse elements:

Data warehouses and their architectures very depending upon the elements of an organization's situation.

Three common architectures are:

o Data Warehouse Architecture: Basic

o Data Warehouse Architecture: With Staging Area
o Data Warehouse Architecture: With Staging Area and Data Marts

10.What is Meta Data?

A set of data that defines and gives information about other data.Meta Data summarizes necessary information
about data, which can make finding and work with particular instances of data more accessible. For example, author,
data build, and data changed, and file size are examples of very basic document metadata.

11.List out end-user access tools?

o Reporting and Query Tools

o Application Development Tools
o Executive Information Systems Tools
o Online Analytical Processing Tools
o Data Mining Tools

12.What is staging area?

Data warehouses use a staging area (A place where data is processed before entering the warehouse).

Data Warehouse Staging Area is a temporary location where a record from source systems is copied.

A staging area simplifies data cleansing and consolidation for operational method coming from multiple source
systems, especially for enterprise data warehouses where all relevant data of an enterprise is consolidated.

13.Define Data mart:

A data mart is a segment of a data warehouses that can provided information for reporting and analysis on a
section, unit, department or operation in the company, e.g., sales, payroll, production, etc.
14.Properties of Data Warehouse Architectures

1. Separation
2. Scalability
3. Extensibility
4. Security
5. Administerability

15. Types of Data Warehouse Architecture

1. Single tier Architecture

2. Two-tier Architecture
3. Three-tier Architecture

16. Levels of three tier Data Warehouse Architecture

1. Bottom Tier (Data Warehouse Server)

2. Middle Tier (OLAP Server)
3. Top Tier (Front end Tools).

17. Define Meta data Repository (or) What is the role of meta data repository in data warehouse?

The Metadata Repository stores information that defines DW objects. It includes the following parameters and
information for the middle and the top-tier applications:

1. A description of the DW structure

2. Operational metadata, which usually describes the currency level of the stored data
3. System performance data
4. Information about the mapping from operational databases
5. Summarization algorithms, predefined queries, and reports business data

18.Mention the levels of Three-Tier Data Warehouse Architecture?

1.Bottom Tier (Data Warehouse Server)

2.Middle Tier (OLAP Server)
3.Top Tier (Front end Tools).

19.What is modern data warehouse? With example

A Modern Data Warehouse is a cloud-based solution that gathers and stores that information. Organizations can
process this data to make intelligent decisions. That’s why various organizations use a Modern Data Warehouse to
improve their finances, human resources, and operations business processes. Ex: Quality cloud-based warehouse
departments

20. Different Components of Modern Data Warehouse?

 Data Acquisition
 Data Engineering
 Data Management Governance
  Reporting and Business Intelligence
 Data Science

21.Differentiate autonomous Data warehouse from snowflake? Mention any 2 points