Foodmart

Hi,

I am busy going through the Microsoft official curriculum for 'Designing and Implementing OLAP solutions' and the online tutorial.

Is Foodmart 2000 an OLTP, datamart or data warehouse?

I just think I am missing an important part in creating the Fact Table. This seems like the more important task when creating cubes. Would this be covered in a data warehousing module?
When is this created and where can I get some documentation about creating it. I just dont think it is part of a normal relational database design or development.

Any help?



Regards

Ian



If Everything Seems To Be Going Well, You Have Obviously Overlooked Something.

Ian:

FoodMart ships with AS, and installs by default as the star schema underneath the sample cubes, etc.

The default installation path is [DRIVE]\Program Files\Microsoft Analysis Services\Samples. If your copy has been removed, or otherwise has disappeared, you can get another copy from the CD or the MS site. Sounds like you've processed cubes, however, so you must have a connection.

Let me know if I'm missing the question entirely. Mondays do that to me, at times.

Bill

Hi William, I am actually going through your tutorials now, because they use Foodmart. Thanks.

No, what I am missing is how Foodmart was created. I have it on my machine, but I am not grasping the concept of how it was created and where it fits in to the architecture. You say it is the star schema, this makes a bit more sence. I thought the star schema referred to the cube layout.

Would/could FoodMart have been generated from an OLTP/RDBMS using DTS or ETL process into the staging area.

I feel this is a basic step in creating cubes and OLAP cubes which I am overlooking.

Thanks again
Regards
Ian

Sorry re: the delay... I had begun an answer to this on one of my servers, and then was called to England for a week with a client. I returned to find it undispatched on the server!

A thousand pardons!

B*

-------------------------------------------------------------------
Friend:

Typically, we would have to create the star schema (Mart or Warehouse) before building cubes, if we were going the traditional route. FoodMart is provided for us, so that we can get to it straightway, assuming that a Mart / Warehouse is already in existence. This would, of course, have to be designed, along with the ETL to populate / maintain it in the real world as a (typically large) separate step.

I've seen a good discussion on building a simple star from a relational dB in a book called SQL Server Developer's Guide to OLAP with Analysis Services (Gunderloy and Sneath authors - both accomplished in many ways), ISBN 0-7821-2957-9. (They actually go through a discussion of creating a mart from the Northwind relational dB - which seems along the lines of what you're asking, if I understand it, and certainly within the realm of a very personal test...). It's also a great rudimentary intro to Analysis Services, with a developer perspective - much discussion re: various industries' concerns, etc.

A total aside - a rant, if you will: Actually, this was one of several books that had me thinking that the pursuit of publishing a book was a valid, useful idea. Having gone through the "mill" with a handful fo publishers several times (the latest was McGraw Hill), I've totally changed my perspective. The book that needs to be written is about how BAD the publishing industry itself really is (second in the prostitution chain only to recruiters - or the real article, I guess, which itself is quite honest about what it exists to accomplish), and why getting an even reasonably good book published is unlikely, if not impossible. It's like a conceptual Peter Principle on steroids, with the absolutely worst decison makers in positions of authority over what is and isn't published. (If anyone in the media senses an article here, I'll be happy to elaborate - we could call it Mediocrity Rises to the Top - Among Other Substances ... I could even point out individuals that would serve as wonderful models for the participants in a Bonfire of the Vanities sort of book about the technical books publishing industry ).

Let us know how it turns out for you!

Bill

Thanks Bill,
I will try get hold of the book.
Not sure what your rant was about, when I'm 90 I will write my memoirs and hopefully the industry has heard what you have to say.
Thanks again.
Ian

Ian:

Being as your'e not in the US, if you have trouble getting the book, let me know, and I'll see if I can round you up a copy - it will likely be used (but usable), and it may take a little time, but I'll be most happy to try.

I'll look forward to your memoirs. Maybe next time I'm over there, we can have a beer and share a few ...

Have a great weekend.

Bill