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Data Mining Answers

A data warehouse is a centralized repository designed for analytical reporting and data analysis, characterized by being subject-oriented, integrated, time-variant, and non-volatile. Its lifecycle includes planning, design, implementation, operation, and evolution stages, while its architecture consists of data sources, an ETL layer, the data warehouse itself, an OLAP layer, and front-end tools. Key applications include business intelligence, data mining, performance management, and CRM, with challenges such as data quality, integration, scalability, performance, and user adoption.

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24 views3 pages

Data Mining Answers

A data warehouse is a centralized repository designed for analytical reporting and data analysis, characterized by being subject-oriented, integrated, time-variant, and non-volatile. Its lifecycle includes planning, design, implementation, operation, and evolution stages, while its architecture consists of data sources, an ETL layer, the data warehouse itself, an OLAP layer, and front-end tools. Key applications include business intelligence, data mining, performance management, and CRM, with challenges such as data quality, integration, scalability, performance, and user adoption.

Uploaded by

Masubo Phelix
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© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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Q1: What are the key characteristics of data in a data warehouse?

Subject-Oriented: Data is organized around key subjects (e.g., sales, customers) rather than
applications.

Integrated: Data from various sources is consolidated into a consistent format.

Time-Variant: Historical data is maintained, allowing for analysis over time.

Non-Volatile: Once data is entered into the warehouse, it does not change, ensuring historical
accuracy.

Q2: Explain the data warehouse lifecycle and its main stages.

The data warehouse lifecycle includes the following stages:

Planning: Define the purpose and scope of the data warehouse.

Design: Create a blueprint for the data warehouse architecture, including data models and ETL
processes.

Implementation: Build the data warehouse, including data extraction, transformation, and
loading (ETL).

Operation: Maintain and manage the data warehouse, ensuring data quality and performance.

Evolution: Adapt and enhance the data warehouse based on changing business needs and
technology advancements.

Q3: What are the primary applications of a data warehouse?

Business Intelligence: Support decision-making through reporting and analysis.

Data Mining: Enable advanced analytics to discover patterns and insights.

Performance Management: Monitor and improve business performance through key performance
indicators (KPIs).

Customer Relationship Management (CRM): Analyze customer data to enhance relationships


and marketing strategies.

Q4: Describe the data architecture used in data warehouse operations.

The data architecture typically consists of:

Data Sources: Operational databases, external data sources, and flat files.
ETL Layer: Tools and processes for extracting, transforming, and loading data into the
warehouse.

Data Warehouse: Central repository for integrated data, often structured in a star or snowflake
schema.

OLAP Layer: Online Analytical Processing tools for multidimensional analysis.

Front-End Tools: Reporting, querying, and data mining tools for end-user access.

Q5: What is a data warehouse? How is it different from a traditional database?

A data warehouse is a centralized repository designed for analytical reporting and data analysis,
optimized for read access and complex queries. It differs from a traditional database in that:

Purpose: Data warehouses are designed for analysis and reporting, while traditional databases are
optimized for transaction processing.

Data Structure: Data warehouses use denormalized structures (e.g., star schema) for efficient
querying, whereas traditional databases use normalized structures.

Data Volume: Data warehouses handle large volumes of historical data, while traditional
databases focus on current transactional data.

Q6: What steps are involved in acquiring data for a data warehouse?

Data Extraction: Collect data from various sources, including operational databases and external
systems.

Data Cleaning: Remove inconsistencies, duplicates, and errors from the data.

Data Transformation: Convert data into a suitable format for analysis, including normalization
and aggregation.

Data Loading: Load the cleaned and transformed data into the data warehouse.

Q7: What challenges are commonly encountered when implementing a data warehouse?

Data Quality: Ensuring accuracy, consistency, and completeness of data.

Integration: Combining data from diverse sources with different formats and structures.

Scalability: Managing increasing data volumes and user demands.

Performance: Optimizing query performance and response times.


User Adoption: Encouraging users to adopt and effectively use the data warehouse.

Q8: Define a multidimensional data model and explain its role in data warehousing.

A multidimensional data model organizes data into dimensions and facts, allowing users to
analyze data from multiple perspectives. It typically includes:

Dimensions: Attributes that provide context (e.g., time, geography, product).

Facts: Numeric measures that are analyzed (e.g., sales, revenue). The model supports OLAP
operations, enabling users to perform complex queries and analyses efficiently.

Q9: Provide definitions for the following terms:

(a) OLAP: Online Analytical Processing, a category of software technology that enables analysts
to perform multidimensional analysis of business data. (b) ROLAP: Relational OLAP, which
uses relational databases to store data and performs OLAP operations directly on relational data.
(c) MOLAP: Multidimensional OLAP, which stores data in a multidimensional cube format,
allowing for faster query performance. (d) DSS: Decision Support System, a computer-based
information system that supports business or organizational decision-making activities. (e) Data
marts: Subsets of data warehouses that focus on specific business areas or departments,
providing tailored data for analysis

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