| OLAP enables users to access information from multidimensional data warehouses almost instantly, to view information in any way they like, and to cleanly specify and carry out sophisticated calculations. Although many commercial OLAP tools and products are now available, OLAP is still a difficult and complex technology to master.
- Substantially updated with expanded coverage of implementation methods for data storage, access, and calculation; also, new chapters added to combine OLAP with data warehouse, mining, and decision support tools
- Teaches the best practices for building OLAP models that improve business and organizational decision-making, completely independent of commercial tools, using revised case studies
- Companion Web site provides updates on OLAP standards and tools, code examples, and links to valuable resources
Substantially updated with expanded coverage of implementation methods for data storage, access, and calculation; also, new chapters added to combine OLAP with data warehouse, mining, and decision support tools.
A comprehensive guide to using OLAP technologies to implement and use multidimensional databases This book is a hands-on guide to using OLAP to create multidimensional data systems that quickly retrieve information from storage. Explaining what OLAP actually is, the book details the many available OLAP tools, how to select the proper tool, and how to apply multidimensional structuring to existing data sets. CD-ROM includes a copy of software package TM1, a fully functioning version of each case study covered in the book, and a copy of visualization product "Data Diamond."
This book is principally written for business and scientific analysts, IT workers, and computer science and technically oriented business students. The book’s multi-level style (wherein technical points are kept in parentheses, sidebars, endnotes, appendices, or specifically technical chapters) also makes it valuable and accessible to IT managers and executives. It teaches you everything you need to know about the principles of designing and the skills for using multidimensional information systems. The application section of the book contains a computational model of a company and a full set of exercises through which you can improve your model- and formula-building skills. The book was written to be understood by any intelligent person who likes to think, though it helps if you have some understanding of spreadsheets and/or business analysis. If your background includes relational databases, logic, linear algebra, statistics, cognitive science, and/or data visualization, you will more easily appreciate the advanced material.
About the Author ERIK THOMSEN (ethomsen@dsslab.com) is Chief Scientist at DSS Lab, Inc., where he consults on the design and implementation of OLAP-based decision support systems, teaches at corporations and universities, and conducts research in the field of unified information systems. He also writes the "Analytic Solutions" column for Intelligent Enterprise. He is a coauthor of Microsoft OLAP Solutions (Wiley). |
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