Release 2 (v9.0.2)
Part Number A95949-01
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| Oracle9i Warehouse Builder User's Guide Release 2 (v9.0.2) Part Number A95949-01 |
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Describes a fact (or measure) that can be summarized through addition. An additive fact is the most common type of fact. Examples include Sales, Cost, and Profit. (Contrast with nonadditive, semi-additive.)
The process of consolidating data values into a single value. For example, sales data could be collected on a daily basis and then be aggregated to the week level, the week data could be aggregated to the month level, and so on. The data can then be referred to as aggregate data.
Data that is aggregated by sum, average, or another aggregation function. For example, unit sales of a particular product could be summarized by day, month, quarter, and yearly sales.
A value at any level above a given value in a hierarchy. For example, in a Time dimension, the value 1999 might be the ancestor of the values Q1-99 and Jan-99. (See also descendant, hierarchy, level.)
A descriptive characteristic of one or more levels. Attributes represent logical groupings that enable end users to select data based on like characteristics. In relational modeling, an attribute is defined as a characteristic of an entity. In Oracle9i, an attribute is a column in a dimension that characterizes elements of a single level.
A value at the level below a given value in a hierarchy. For example, in a Time dimension, the value Jan-99 might be the child of the value Q1-99. A value can be a child for more than one parent if the child value belongs to multiple hierarchies. (See also hierarchy, level, parent.)
The process of resolving inconsistencies and fixing the anomalies in source data, typically as part of the ETL process. (See also ETL.)
A repository standard used by Oracle data warehousing, decision support, and OLAP tools including Oracle Warehouse Builder. The CWM repository schema is an open standard repository that other products can share.
The main window of the Oracle Warehouse Builder application. It contains a menu bar, launcher, and navigator.
A database, application, data definition source, or file that contributes data.
A data warehouse that is designed for a particular line of business, such as sales, marketing, or finance. In a dependent data mart, the data can be derived from an enterprise-wide data warehouse (as a dependent data mart). In an independent data mart, data can be collected directly from sources. (See also data warehouse.)
A relational database that is designed for query and analysis rather than transaction processing. A data warehouse usually contains historical data that is derived from transaction data, but it can include data from other sources. It separates analysis workload from transaction workload and enables a business to consolidate data from several sources.
In addition to a relational database, a data warehouse environment often consists of an ETL solution, an OLAP engine, client analysis tools, and other applications that manage the process of gathering data and delivering it to business users. (See also ETL, OLAP.)
Data Definition Language.
The process of allowing redundancy in a table so that it can remain flat. (Contrast with normalize.)
A fact (or measure) that is generated from existing data using a mathematical operation or a data transformation. Examples include averages, totals, percentages, and differences.
A structure, often composed of one or more hierarchies, that categorizes data. Several distinct dimensions, combined with measures, enable end users to answer business questions. Commonly used dimensions are Customer, Product, and Time. In Oracle9i, a dimension is a database object that defines hierarchical (parent/child) relationships between pairs of column sets.
One element in the list that makes up a dimension. For example, a computer company might have dimension values in the Product dimension called LAPPC and DESKPC. Values in the Geography dimension might include Boston and Paris. Values in the Time dimension might include MAY96 and JAN97.
There are three types of data manipulation language, or dml, statements: insert, update, or delete.
To navigate from one item to a set of related items. Drilling typically involves navigating up and down through the levels in a hierarchy. When selecting data, you can expand or collapse a hierarchy by drilling down or up in it, respectively. (See also drill down, drill up.)
To expand the view to include child values that are associated with parent values in the hierarchy. (See also drill, drill up.)
To collapse the list of descendant values that are associated with a parent value in the hierarchy.
An object or process. For example, a dimension is an object, a mapping is a process, and both are elements.
Extraction, transformation, and load. ETL refers to the methods involved in accessing and manipulating source data and loading it into a data warehouse. The order in which these processes are performed varies. (See also data warehouse, extraction, transformation.)
A window in Oracle Warehouse Builder used to define or edit objects and their relationships to each other.
The process of taking data out of a source as part of an initial phase of ETL. (See also ETL.)
A table in a star schema that contains facts. A fact table typically has two types of columns: those that contain facts and those that are foreign keys to dimension tables. The primary key of a fact table is usually a composite key that is made up of all of its foreign keys.
A fact table can contain either detail level facts or facts that have been aggregated (fact tables that contain aggregated facts are often instead called summary tables). A fact table usually contains facts with the same level of aggregation.
Data, usually numeric and additive, that can be examined and analyzed. Values for facts or measures are usually not known in advance; they are observed and stored. Examples include Sales, Cost, and Profit. Fact and measure are synonymous; fact is more commonly used with relational environments, measure is more commonly used with multi-dimensional environments.
Maps data from flat files to tables in the warehouse.
A logical structure that uses ordered levels as a means of organizing data. A hierarchy can be used to define data aggregation. For example, in a Time dimension, a hierarchy might be used to aggregate data from the Month level to the Quarter level to the Year level. A hierarchy can also be used to define a navigational drill path, regardless of whether the levels in the hierarchy represent aggregated totals. (See also dimension, level.)
Software that works with Oracle Warehouse Builder to facilitate definition, design, and extraction of source data. Examples of integrators include the Oracle Applications Integrator and the SAP Integrator.
The panel in the Oracle Warehouse Builder console window that contains buttons to control the active environment. These environments include the Project environment, Administration environment, and Transformation Library environment.
A position in a hierarchy. For example, a Time dimension might have a hierarchy that represents data at the Month, Quarter, and Year levels. (See also hierarchy.)
A database table that stores the values or data for the levels you created as part of your dimensions and hierarchies.
The definition of the relationship and data flow between source and target objects.
Data, usually numeric and additive, that can be examined and analyzed. Values for facts or measures are usually not known in advance; they are observed and stored. Examples include Sales, Cost, and Profit. Fact and measure are synonymous; fact is more commonly used with relational environments, measure is more commonly used with multidimensional environments.
Data that describes data and other structures, such as objects, business rules, and processes. For example, the schema design of a data warehouse is typically stored in a repository as metadata, which is used to generate scripts that build and populate the data warehouse. A repository contains metadata.
An object that represents something to be made. A representative style, plan, or design. Metadata that defines the structure of the data warehouse.
The metadata containers for source data, process data, and warehouse data.
A panel in the Oracle Warehouse Builder console that displays the objects for the active environment in a tree structure.
Describes a fact (or measure) that cannot be summarized through addition. An example is average. (Contrast with additive, semi-additive.)
In a relational database, the process of removing redundancy in data by separating the data into multiple tables. (Contrast with denormalize.)
Online analytical processing. OLAP functionality is characterized by dynamic, multidimensional analysis of historical data, which supports activities such as the following:
OLAP tools can run against a multidimensional database or interact directly with a relational database.
A value at the level above a given value in a hierarchy. For example, in a Time dimension, the value Q1-99 might be the parent of the value Jan-99. (See also child, hierarchy, level.)
A collection of related database objects that, when deployed, becomes a schema. Objects include tables, views, and other objects.
A project contains all design definitions and information needed by Warehouse Builder to build a warehouse. The project structure helps users organize their work.
A row is the basic unit for the processing of data in any mapping. A row has a structure and is defined by attributes, where each attribute is given a name and data type, and length, scale, and precision.
A row set consists of zero or more rows of structured data brought into or emerging from an operator in a mapping. A mapping defines how row sets are extracted from a source, transformed, and loaded into a target using operators. The number of rows in a row set is called the cardinality of that row set.
A collection of related database objects. Relational schemas are grouped by database user ID and include tables, views, and other objects. (See also snowflake schema, star schema.)
Describes a fact (or measure) that can be summarized through addition along some, but not all, dimensions. Examples include Headcount and On Hand Stock. (Contrast with additive, nonadditive.)
A database schema object that is a series of sequential, generated numbers. Oracle stores sequences as rows in a single data dictionary table in the SYSTEM tablespace. A sequence definition indicates general information: the name of the sequence, whether it ascends or descends, the interval between numbers, and other information.
The short name is a unique identifier that is used as the root name for all related objects created in Warehouse Builder.
A type of star schema in which the dimension tables are partly or fully normalized. (See also schema, star schema.)
Contains the integrators currently installed for Warehouse Builder. Accessed through the Administration environment.
A database, application, file, or other storage facility from which the data in a data warehouse is derived.
A relational schema whose design represents a multidimensional data model. The star schema consists of one or more fact tables and one or more dimension tables that are related through foreign keys. (See also schema, snowflake schema.)
A classification system that represents or distinguishes parts of an organization or areas of knowledge. A data mart is often developed to support a subject area such as sales, marketing, or geography. (See also data mart.)
A layout of data in columns.
Holds the intermediate or final results of any part of the ETL process. The target of the entire ETL process is the data warehouse. (See also data warehouse, ETL.)
The process of manipulating data. Any manipulation beyond copying is a transformation. Examples include cleansing, aggregating, and integrating data from multiple sources.
Stores the reusable formulas for the transformation of data as it moves between source and target objects.
The process of verifying metadata definitions and configuration parameters.
The warehouse administrator is the information specialist who manages the warehouse database and warehouse management applications. For example, the warehouse administrator would be responsible for managing and monitoring periodic updates of the warehouse database.
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