Data warehousing is revolutionizing the way businesses in a wide variety of industries perform analysis and make strategic decisions. This volume offers IT professionals comprehensive coverage of every significant topic in data warehousing systems. The author provides a complete overview of data warehousing together with in-depth explanations of critical issues in planning, design, deployment, and ongoing maintenance. IT professionals will gain a clear understanding of techniques for extraction of data from source systems, data transformations, data staging, data warehouse architecture and infrastructure, and the various methods for information delivery. Data Warehousing Fundamentals includes review questions and exercises appropriate for self-study or classroom work, industry examples applicable to real-world situations, and an appendix containing valuable guidelines for evaluating vendor solutions. Specifically written for professionals designing, implementing, or maintaining data warehousing systems, this practical book spans the entire landscape of the subject. Table of Contents Foreword. Preface. PART 1: OVERVIEW AND CONCEPTS. The Compelling Need for Data Warehousing. Data Warehouse: The Building Blocks. Trends in Data Warehousing. PART 2: PLANNING AND REQUIREMENTS. Planning and Project Management. Defining the Business Requirements. Requirements as the Driving Force for Data Warehousing. PART 3: ARCHITECTURE AND INFRASTRUCTURE. The Architectural Components. Infrastructure as the Foundation for Data Warehousing. The Significant Role of Metadata. PART 4: DATA DESIGN AND DATA PREPARATION. Principles of Dimensional Modeling. Dimensional Modeling: Advanced Topics. Data Extraction, Transformation, and Loading. Data Quality: A Key to Success. PART 5: INFORMATION ACCESS AND DELIVERY. Matching Information to the Classes of Users. OLAP in the Data Warehouse. Data Warehousing and the Web. Data Mining Basics. PART 6: IMPLEMENTATION AND MAINTENANCE. The Physical Design Process. Data Warehouse Deployment. Growth and Maintenance. Appendix A: Project Life Cycle Steps and Checklists. Appendix B: Critical Factors for Success. Appendix C: Guidelines for Evaluating Vendor Solutions. References. Glossary. Index. Author Information PAULRAJ PONNIAH, PhD, is a twenty-five year IT professional who specializes in the design and implementation of data warehouse and database systems. He also teaches database and data warehousing courses.