Data Warehousing For Dummies Paperback - 2009

From the rear cover

Learn to:

• Analyze top-down and bottom-up data warehouse designs
• Understand the structure and technologies of data warehouses, operational data stores, and data marts
• Implement a data warehouse, step by step
• Involve end-users in the process

There's more to data warehousing than you think, so start right here!

You don't need a forklift to work with a data warehouse, but you do need a hefty load of know-how to make wise decisions when setting one up. Data is probably your company's most important asset, so your data warehouse should serve your needs. Here's how to understand, develop, implement, and use data warehouses, plus a sneak peek into their future.

• Know your stuff -- understand what a data warehouse is, what should be housed there, and what data assets are
• Get a handle on technology -- learn about column-wise databases, hardware assisted databases, middleware, and master data management
• The intelligent view -- see how business intelligence and data warehousing work together
• Ask the right questions -- explore data mining and learn to find what you need
• Do the groundwork -- choose your project team and apply best development practices to your data warehousing projects
• Keep the user in mind -- involve your users in defining business needs through testing, and learn how to get valuable feedback
• Fix or replace? -- learn how to review and upgrade existing data storage to make it serve your needs
• Buyer beware -- be prepared when dealing with data warehousing product vendors

Open the book and find:

• What to expect from your data warehouse
• The difference between data warehouses and data marts
• All about specialty database technologies
• What to look for in a consultant
• How your data warehouse feeds dashboards and scorecards
• Secrets for managing a successful data warehouse project
• How to effectively capture business needs and requirements
• Ten signs your project is in trouble