Project Real

It can be quite difficult to get your head around a data warehouse/reporting solution.

But fear not. Microsoft, together with a number of it’s technology partners, has put together a project called Project Real. This consists of a sample implementation based on SQL Server technology and a set of sample data.  This kit consists of the following:

• A set of instructions for setting up the environment
• Guidance on how to explore the implementation
• A sample relational data warehouse database (a subset of the Project REAL data warehouse)
• A sample source database (from which we pull incremental updates)
• SSIS packages that implement the ETL operations
• An SSAS cube definition and scripts for processing the cube from the sample warehouse
• Sample SSRS reports
• Sample data mining models for predicting out-of-stock conditions in stores
• Sample client views in briefing books for the ProClarity and Panorama BI front-end tools

Project Real has been around for quite a while, and I’ve played around with it a few times. For some reason it never occurred to me to blog about it. It is well worth the effort working through this Microsoft kit as it is not often you are given the opportunity to work through a DW/BI implementation from start to finish.

My Top Five Data Warehouse Books

There is always something new to learn in Data Warehousing. I have several years experience working with data warehouses, and I can’t help by being surprised at the new things I keep picking up. Add to this the new features being introduced by recent releases of Microsoft SQL Server and Oracle, and you see why it is really important to keep up to date with what is available.

This is all good and well. However, what if you are new to the whole area of Data Warehousing and want to pick up the subject in your own time? Well I own, have used, and can recommend five books.

In reverse order these are:

5. Data Warehousing: Using the Wal-Mart Model (The Morgan Kaufmann Series in Data Management Systems).

This is an interesting book written by one of the architects of the Wal-Mart Data Warehouse. He describes his initial design and it’s subsequent phenomenal growth. A real eye opener and a useful guide in implementing warehouses.

4. The Microsoft Data Warehouse Toolkit: With SQL Server 2005 and the Microsoft Business Intelligence Toolset. A useful book, particularly if you are working with or implementing solutions using SQL Server and Microsoft BI tools.

3. Mastering Data Warehouse Design: Relational and Dimensional Techniques.

This book provides a thorough grounding in Data Warehouse design. Slightly different principles to the Kimball design, but useful nonetheless.

2. The Data Warehouse Lifecycle Toolkit.

An excellent book written by Kimball et. al. Ideally suited to those that need to plan and manage a data warehouse project.

And finally, the grand-daddy of all Data Warehouse books, and a must for every Data Warehouse professional’s bookshelf:

1. The Data Warehouse Toolkit: The Complete Guide to Dimensional Modeling (Second Edition).

An excellent reference guide, particularly more so as scenarios are played out in various contexts – retail, insurance, etc. I have used this book several times and have found it incredibly useful. No surprise that I see this book on the desk at several client sites.

So there you have it. My Top 5 list of Data Warehouse books. Do you have a recommendation for a book? If so, let me know!