Transcript

A data warehouse is a central repository of data that provides the U-M community with integrated, up-to-date data from various administrative systems.

Relational Models refers to data modeling based on multiple flat files for records, with dissimilar attribute structures, connected by a common key attribute. Relational models allow for flexibility, but often require full understanding of the data — most commonly attributed to power users.

Dimensional models or star schemas. This is a type of data modeling suited for data warehousing. “Fact” tables, which record measures, join to a larger number of independent “dimensional” tables, which record information on each dimension. Data is predetermined, making it accessible by casual users.

OLAP cubes are created from dimensional models, these specially designed, multidimensional databases are optimized for reporting and analysis, allowing for instant data retrieval.