Intermediate Flashcards
Q: What is the purpose of using Multiple Satellites in Data Vault?
A: Multiple Satellites allow for the separation of different types of contextual information (e.g., operational vs. historical data) and support different update frequencies, providing flexibility in maintaining data.
Q: Explain the concept of “Business Vault” in Data Vault 2.0.
A: The Business Vault extends the core Data Vault model to include additional business logic and calculations, enhancing the model with metrics, derived data, and processing rules that support analytical needs.
Q: What is the significance of the “Load Process” in Data Vault?
A: The Load Process in Data Vault involves extracting data from source systems, transforming it into the Data Vault model, and loading it into Hubs, Links, and Satellites, ensuring data integrity and consistency.
Q: How do you handle historical data in Data Vault 2.0?
A: Historical data is captured using Satellites, which store historical context for each Hub or Link and enable tracking of changes over time and auditing of data lineage.
Q: What role do Surrogate Keys play in Data Vault 2.0?
A: Surrogate Keys are system-generated identifiers used to uniquely identify records within the Data Vault, preventing issues related to changing business keys and ensuring data integrity.
Q: How does Data Vault facilitate scalability in data warehousing?
A: Data Vault’s modular structure allows organizations to add new sources and models without redesigning the entire system, providing scalability to accommodate growing data volumes and changing business needs.
Q: What are “Link Tables” and give an example of their use?
A: Link Tables connect multiple Hubs to model many-to-many relationships; for example, a “Customer-Product Link” table can connect customers (Hubs) to products (Hubs) they have purchased.
Q: Describe the “ETL vs. ELT” distinction in the context of Data Vault.
A: Data Vault typically uses an ELT (Extract, Load, Transform) approach, where data is loaded into the Data Vault before transformations are applied, allowing raw data storage and easy access for future transformations.
Q: What is the function of the “Data Mart Layer” in a Data Vault architecture?
A: The Data Mart Layer provides subject-oriented views of the Data Vault, allowing end users to access aggregated and transformed data tailored for specific reporting and analytical needs.
Q: How is Data Quality managed in Data Vault 2.0?
A: Data Quality is managed through validations during the ETL/ELT process, error tables, and management of data lineage to trace the origin of data issues and ensure integrity across the Data Vault.
