An unparalleled collection of recommended best practices from the data warehousing pioneers of the Kimball Group Recognized and respected throughout the world as the most influential leaders in the data warehousing industry, Ralph Kimball and the Kimball Group have pioneered methods and standards that have been adopted by nearly every leading data warehouse vendor. For the first time ever, the Kimball Group's incomparable advice, design tips, and best practices have been gathered in this remarkable collection of articles, which spans a decade of data warehousing innovation. Each group of articles is introduced with original commentaries that explain their role in the overall lifecycle methodology developed by the Kimball Group. These practical, hands-on articles are fully updated to reflect current practices and terminology; they cover such topics as pre-project planning, organizing the project, business requirements, data architecture, dimensional modeling, ETL, , technical architecture, business intelligence and analytics, and maintenance and growth. * The Kimball Group is a world-renowned consulting and training group that has pioneered innovative data warehousing methods and techniques * Presents a collection of updated articles that share best practices and invaluable advice on every major topic involved in designing, building, and managing a a data warehouse * Covers the complete data warehouse lifecycle Provides novel data warehouse design techniques not found in their previously published books This useful and easily referenced collection is nothing less than vital if you are involved with data warehousing in any capacity.

Table of Contents

Introduction xxi

1 The Reader at a Glance 1

2 Before You Dive In 35

3 Project/Program Planning 69

4 Requirements Definition 113

5 Data Architecture 133

6 Dimensional Modeling Fundamentals 179

7 Dimensional Modeling Tasks and Responsibilities 209

8 Fact Table Core Concepts 233

9 Dimension Table Core Concepts 285

10 More Dimension Patterns and Case Studies 333

11 Back Room ETL and Data Quality 425

12 Technical Architecture Considerations 513

13 Front Room Business Intelligence Applications 589

14 Maintenance and Growth Considerations 651

Index of Articles 685

Index 693

Author Biography

Ralph Kimball, PhD, is the Founder of the Kimball Group and a leading visionary in the data warehouse industry.

Margy Ross is President of the Kimball Group and has focused exclusively on DW/BI solutions since 1982.