2.3 - Extending the Star Models

Question 1

What is a value chain?

Answer 1

The value chain identifies the natural, logical flow of an organization’s primary activities.

Question 2

Operational source systems typically produce

Answer 2

transactions (issue purchase order) or snapshots (record inventory level) at each step of the value chain.

Question 3

To create useful reports

Answer 3

metrics and measurements from different fact tables often need to be integrated. (Value Chain Framework as Roadmap)

Question 4

The value chain framework helps

Answer 4

developing insight into how the overall data architecture should be like to allow for integrating information from different processes.

Question 5

Enterprise-level data warehouses are often created

Answer 5

incrementally

Question 6

Subcomponents are created ______ then ______

Answer 6

first, and are then integrated together.

Question 7

To be able to successfully integrate sub-components, you need to

Answer 7

decide on a masterplan, or a data warehouses architecture early on.

Question 8

bus

Answer 8

A bus is a common structure to which everything connects.

Question 9

By defining a standard bus interface for the DW/BI environment

Answer 9

separate dimensional models can be implemented by different groups at different times.

Question 10

The separate business process subject areas plug together and usefully coexist

Answer 10

if they adhere to the bus architecture

Question 11

Advantages of using a Bus Architecture

Answer 11

Managers get best of both worlds

• Framework guiding the overall design, but problem has been divided into bite-sized business process chunks that can be implemented in realistic time frames.
• Separate development teams follow the architecture while working independently, asynchronously.

Question 12

The data warehouse bus matrix is used to

Answer 12

document and communicate the bus architecture.

Question 13

data warehouse bus matrix is a key design tool representing

Answer 13

the organization’s core business processes and associated dimensionality.

Question 14

data warehouse bus matrix is the architectural blueprint provided

Answer 14

the top-down strategic perspective to ensure data in the DW/BI environment can be integrated across the enterprise.

Question 15

organization’s business processes are represented as ______ on data warehouse bus matrix..

Answer 15

matrix rows

Question 16

It is important in data warehouse bus matrix that you identify _______ not _____

Answer 16

identify business processes, not business departments.

Question 17

The matrix rows translate into

Answer 17

dimensional models representing the organization’s primary activities and events (recognizable by their operational source)

Question 18

When it’s time to tackle a DW/BI development project, start with

Answer 18

a single business process matrix row because that minimizes the risk of signing up for an overly ambitious implementation.

Question 19

Most implementation risk comes from

Answer 19

biting off too much.

Question 20

How to reduce development risk?

Answer 20

Focusing on the results of a single process, often captured by a single underlying source system

Question 21

Shared Dimensions are AKA…

Answer 21

Conformed Dimensions

Question 22

Conformed dimensions go by many other ____, and are ______

Answer 22

aliases, reused across fact tables

Question 23

drilling across

Answer 23

conformed dimensions enable to combine performance measurements from different business processes in a single report.

Question 24

By linking facts through conformed dimensions, _______ is possible.

Answer 24

cross-process analysis