Data Warehousing Fundamentals: A Comprehensive Guide for IT Professionals [Hardcover]

Paulraj Ponniah (Author)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 0471412546 | ISBN-13: 978-0471412540 | Publication Date: August 3, 2001 | Edition: 1

Geared to IT professionals eager to get into the all-important field of data warehousing, this book explores all topics needed by those who design and implement data warehouses. Readers will learn about planning requirements, architecture, infrastructure, data preparation, information delivery, implementation, and maintenance. They'll also find a wealth of industry examples garnered from the author's 25 years of experience in designing and implementing databases and data warehouse applications for major corporations.
Market: IT Professionals, Consultants.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"Ponniah's work will appeal to IT professionals who already design, implement, or maintain data warehousing systems as well as novices to the subject." (SciTech Book News, Vol. 25, No. 4, December 2001)

From the Back Cover

Data warehousing is revolutionizing the way businesses in a wide variety of industries perform analysis and make strategic decisions. This volume offers IT professionals comprehensive coverage of every significant topic in data warehousing systems.

The author provides a complete overview of data warehousing together with in-depth explanations of critical issues in planning, design, deployment, and ongoing maintenance. IT professionals will gain a clear understanding of techniques for extraction of data from source systems, data transformations, data staging, data warehouse architecture and infrastructure, and the various methods for information delivery.

Data Warehousing Fundamentals includes review questions and exercises appropriate for self-study or classroom work, industry examples applicable to real-world situations, and an appendix containing valuable guidelines for evaluating vendor solutions. Specifically written for professionals designing, implementing, or maintaining data warehousing systems, this practical book spans the entire landscape of the subject.

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 528 pages
• Publisher: Wiley-Interscience; 1 edition (August 3, 2001)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0471412546
• ISBN-13: 978-0471412540
• Product Dimensions: 10.1 x 7 x 1.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2.4 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 3.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (8 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #932,139 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

23 of 24 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Superb & filled with useful and practical info, June 2, 2002

By 

Mike Tarrani "www.tarrani.com" (Deltona, FL USA) - See all my reviews
(COMMUNITY FORUM 04)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Data Warehousing Fundamentals: A Comprehensive Guide for IT Professionals (Hardcover)

This is one of the best introductory books on data warehousing I've read. The authors make few assumptions of reader knowledge beyond the fact that they are IT professionals who have a technical background that doesn't necessarily include database and data warehouse knowledge. They do assume a basic knowledge of IT operations, project management skills and systems analysis and design - skills that IT professionals are expected to have.

The book is divided into five parts: Overview and Concepts, Planning and Requirements, Architecture and Infrastructure, Data Design and Data Preparation, and Implementation and Maintenance. These follow a development life cycle, making the structure of the book easy to follow.

What I like about this book is it doesn't just cover the theory and concepts (which it does do well), but sets data warehousing in the context of a larger architecture designed to meet specific business requirements. I also like the way the authors address real world issues such as planning and managing a data warehouse project, and the issues and factors surrounding adding a data warehouse into an existing technical architecture. This information is what IT professionals are seeking when they are faced with a technology with which they may not have strong knowledge, and it makes this book useful to the intended audience.

Among the chapters that I most liked are: Principles of Dimensional Modeling, Data Extraction, Transformation, and Loading, and Data Quality: A Key to Success. These capture the essence of data warehousing in my opinion and are topics that IT professionals without a data background need to understand. I also thought that each of the appendices were useful. They provided a finishing touch by covering project life cycle steps and checklists, critical success factors and guidelines for evaluating vendor solutions - each of which provide practical information.

12 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Keep this Book at Your Desk-if you can afford it!, December 18, 2003

By 

Mark A. Lucas "SingleSpeeder" (Austin, TX United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Data Warehousing Fundamentals: A Comprehensive Guide for IT Professionals (Hardcover)

A great companion to books by Kimball and Inmon. Helps to clarify some areas where they may be vague or confusing. Includes info from other BI industry thought leaders. Used as a textbook at some universities. Loaded with diagrams and tables. Helps to bridge the gap between techies and management.
NOT as techy as Kimball so it won't lead you through a project or show you how to design databases, ETL or BI apps. A little more real-world examples than Inmon. Does not mention Inmon's CIF architecture by name, but it does explain a similar architecture.
A little too Expensive to buy without skimming through it first (go to a local book store and spend 30 to 60 minutes with it before you decide to order).

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars A great tool..., August 5, 2005

By 

Simerial "Sim" (Montreal, Canada) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Data Warehousing Fundamentals: A Comprehensive Guide for IT Professionals (Hardcover)

Maybe not as complete as the Data Warehouse Toolkit (Kimball Group), but a more "business like" approach that is very interesting. A good compendium especially if you want to clarify and/or confirm concepts you've heard about.