Deck 10: The Data Warehouse

Question 1

According to Inmon, a data warehouse is a subject-oriented, integrated database designed to support DSS functions where the data is volatile and relevant.

Answer 1

False

Question 2

A data warehouse is typically physically separated from transaction processing systems.

Answer 2

True

Question 3

Only a small fraction of the data that is captured, processed and stored in the enterprise is actually ever made available to executives and decision makers.

Answer 3

True

Question 4

The most common component of a data warehouse environment is the operational data store.

Question 5

The essence of the data warehouse concept is a recognition that the characteristics and usage patterns of operational systems used to automate business processes and those of a DSS are fundamentally similar and symbiotically linked.

Question 6

One difference between data warehouses and operational data stores is the presence of metadata.

Question 7

Metadata are detailed data that has been aggregated and condensed into a more useful form.

Question 8

The very essence of the DW environment is that the data contained within the boundaries of the warehouse are integrated. This integration manifests itself through consistency in naming convention and measurement attributes, accuracy, and common aggregation.

Question 9

The time horizon for data in the data warehouse is typically significantly longer than operational data sores.

Question 10

One of the benefits of integrated data is the establishment of a common unit of measure for all synonymous data elements from dissimilar databases.

Question 11

According to Inmon, because data warehouses are highly de-normalized, they are highly redundant.

Question 12

One objective of the data warehouse environment is to minimize the impact on operational systems.

Question 13

The end user in a data warehouse environment deals directly with the application messaging layer.

Question 14

The process management layer in a data warehouse can be thought of as a scheduler.

Question 15

The processes needed to prepare the data to be loaded into a data warehouse are performed in the data staging layer.

Question 16

A data warehouse topology requires a centralized data warehouse that is accessed by one or more decision support tools.

Question 17

One of the most important factors in the development of a data warehouse is a comprehensive architectural framework.

Question 18

Transformation mapping metadata records how data from operational data stores and external sources are transformed on the way into the warehouse.

Question 19

The most common component in the DW environment is the _____________. Its primary day-to-day function is to store the data for a single, specific set of operational applications.

A) data mart
B) data warehouse
C) operational data store
D) data staging tables

Question 20

Which of the following is not true of a data warehouse?

A) Implicit in its definition is that the data warehouse is physically separated from all other operational systems.
B) The data warehouse replaces the need for all other reporting systems within an organization.
C) The data warehouse holds aggregated data and atomic data for management.
D) None of the above.

Question 21

An alternative to the data warehouse concept is a lower-cost, scaled-down version referred to as a:

A) data mart.
B) metadata warehouse.
C) operational data store.
D) None of the above.

Question 22

Which of the following is not true of a data mart?

A) The data mart is often viewed as a way to gain entry into the realm of data warehouses and to make the mistakes on a smaller scale.
B) Vendors of data warehouse applications have found it easier to deal with a small group of isolated users than with the IS department of an entire organization.
C) The data mart is more efficient than a fully-developed data warehouse.
D) None of the above.

Question 23

Which of the following is not a characteristic of a data warehouse?

A) Data integrated
B) Volatile
C) Subject oriented
D) Time variant

Question 24

The essence of the data warehouse environment is that the data contained within the boundaries of the warehouse are _____________

A) integrated
B) consistent
C) streamlined
D) accurate

Question 25

The concept of time variant data implies which of the following statements?

A) Data are simply assumed to be accurate as of some moment in time and not necessarily right now.
B) Data are assumed to be accurate at the moment they were loaded into the data warehouse.
C) Data are assumed to vary over time.
D) Both a and b

Question 26

Which of the following activities would not normally be associated with a data warehouse?

A) Loading
B) Updating
C) Accessing
D) None of the above.

Question 27

The _______________________ represents the source data for the DW. This layer is comprised, primarily, of operational transaction processing systems and external secondary databases.

A) information access layer
B) operational and external layer
C) data access layer
D) process management layer

Question 28

Which layer of the data warehouse architecture does the end user deal directly with?

A) Data access layer
B) Application messaging layer
C) Information access layer
D) None of the above.

Question 29

The ______________ serves as a sort of interface or middleman between the operational and information access layers and the data warehouse itself. This layer spans the various databases contained within the DW and facilitates common access by the DW users.

A) data access layer
B) application messaging layer
C) information access layer
D) none of the above

Question 30

Which of the following would not be a good example of metadata?

A) the directory of where the data is stored
B) the rules used for summarization and scrubbing
C) where the operational data came from
D) all of the above are examples of metadata

Question 31

Which layer within the data warehouse architecture focuses on scheduling tasks that must be accomplished to build and maintain the data warehouse and data directory information?

A) data access layer
B) process management layer
C) application messaging layer
D) none of the above

Question 32

Which of the following is a valid data warehouse configuration?

A) Centralized data warehouse
B) Virtual data warehouse
C) Distributed data warehouse
D) All of the above.

Question 33

The _____________________ has to do with transporting information around the enterprise computing network. This layer is also referred to as the "middleware," but it can typically involve more that just networking protocols and request routing.

A) application messaging layer
B) process management layer
C) data access layer
D) information access layer

Question 34

The ____________________ is where the actual data used for decision support throughout the organization are located.

A) information access layer
B) operational and external layer
C) physical data warehouse layer
D) process management layer

Question 35

The final component of the DWA is the __________________. This layer includes all of the processes necessary to select, edit, summarize, combine and load data warehouse and information access data from operational and/or external databases.

A) data staging layer
B) operational and external layer
C) physical data warehouse layer
D) process management layer

Question 36

The process that records how data from operational data stores and external sources are transformed on the way into the warehouse is referred to as:

A) summarization algorithms.
B) transformation mapping.
C) back propagation.
D) extraction history.

Question 37

The _____________________ applied to the detail data are of importance to any decision maker analyzing or interpreting the meaning of the summaries. These metadata can also save time by making it easier to decide which level of summarization is most appropriate for a given analysis context.

A) summarization algorithms
B) transformation mapping
C) back propagation
D) extraction history

Question 38

Whenever historical information is analyzed, meticulous update records must be kept. Often a decision maker will begin the process of constructing a time-based report by reviewing the ________________ because any changes to the business rules must be ascertained in order to apply the right rules to the right data.

A) summarization algorithms
B) transformation mapping
C) back propagation
D) extraction history