DATA WAREHOUSING FUNDAMENTALS: A Comprehensive Guide for IT Professionals

7.2. UNDERSTANDING DATA WAREHOUSE ARCHITECTURE

In Chapter 2, you were introduced to the building blocks of the data warehouse. At that stage, we quickly looked at the list of components and reviewed each very briefly. In Chapter 6, we revisited the data warehouse architecture and established that the business requirements form the principal driving force for all design and development, including the architectural plan.

In this chapter, we want to review the data warehouse architecture from different perspectives. You will study the architectural components in the manner in which they enable the flow of data from the sources to the end-users. Then you will be able to look at each area of the architecture and examine the functions, procedures, and features in that area. That discussion will lead you into the technical architecture in those architectural areas.

7.2.1. Architecture: Definitions

The structure that brings all the components of a data warehouse together is known as the architecture. For example, take the case of the architecture of a school building. The architecture of the building is not just the visual style. It includes the various classrooms, offices, library, corridors, gymnasiums, doors, windows, roof, and a large number of other such components. When all of these components are brought and placed together, the structure that ties all of the components together is the architecture of the school building. If you can extend this comparison to a data warehouse, ...