Data warehouse automation (DWA) refers to the process of accelerating and automating the
data warehouse
In computing, a data warehouse (DW or DWH), also known as an enterprise data warehouse (EDW), is a system used for Business intelligence, reporting and data analysis and is a core component of business intelligence. Data warehouses are central Re ...
development cycles, while assuring quality and consistency. DWA is believed to provide
automation
Automation describes a wide range of technologies that reduce human intervention in processes, mainly by predetermining decision criteria, subprocess relationships, and related actions, as well as embodying those predeterminations in machine ...
of the entire lifecycle of a data warehouse, from source
system analysis
System analysis in the field of electrical engineering characterizes electrical systems and their properties. System analysis can be used to represent almost anything from population growth to audio speakers; electrical engineers often use it b ...
to
testing to
documentation
Documentation is any communicable material that is used to describe, explain or instruct regarding some attributes of an object, system or procedure, such as its parts, assembly, installation, maintenance, and use. As a form of knowledge managem ...
. It helps improve productivity, reduce cost, and improve overall quality.
General
Data warehouse automation primarily focuses on automation of each and every step involved in the
lifecycle of a data warehouse, thus reducing the efforts required in managing it.
Data warehouse automation works on the principles of
design patterns
''Design Patterns: Elements of Reusable Object-Oriented Software'' (1994) is a software engineering book describing software design patterns. The book was written by Erich Gamma, Richard Helm, Ralph Johnson, and John Vlissides, with a fore ...
. It comprises a central repository of design patterns, which encapsulate architectural standards as well as best practices for
data design,
data management
Data management comprises all disciplines related to handling data as a valuable resource, it is the practice of managing an organization's data so it can be analyzed for decision making.
Concept
The concept of data management emerged alongsi ...
,
data integration
Data integration refers to the process of combining, sharing, or synchronizing data from multiple sources to provide users with a unified view.
There are a wide range of possible applications for data integration, from commercial (such as when a ...
, and data usage.
In November 2015, an analyst firm has published a guide ''Which Data Warehouse Automation Tool is Right for You?'' covering four of the leading products in the DWA space. In November 2015, an international software and technology services company engaged in developing ‘
agile tools’ for the data integration industry, was named by CIO Review as one of the 20 most promising productivity tools solution providers 2015.
Benefits
Data warehouse automation can provide advantages like source
data exploration, warehouse data models,
ETL generation,
test automation
In software testing, test automation is the use of software separate from the software being tested to control the execution of tests and the comparison of actual outcomes with predicted outcomes. Test automation can automate some repetitive bu ...
,
metadata management,
managed deployment, scheduling, change impact analysis and easier maintenance and modification of the data warehouse. More important than the technical features of data warehouse automation tools, however, is the ability to deliver projects faster and with less resources.
See also
*
Data warehouse
In computing, a data warehouse (DW or DWH), also known as an enterprise data warehouse (EDW), is a system used for Business intelligence, reporting and data analysis and is a core component of business intelligence. Data warehouses are central Re ...
*
Data mart
A data mart is a structure/access pattern specific to ''data warehouse'' environments. The data mart is a subset of the data warehouse that focuses on a specific business line, department, subject area, or team. Whereas data warehouses have an en ...
*
Data warehouse appliance In computing, the term data warehouse appliance (DWA) was coined by Foster Hinshaw for a database machine architecture for data warehouses (DW) specifically marketed for big data analysis and discovery that is simple to use (not a pre-configuration) ...
*
Data integration
Data integration refers to the process of combining, sharing, or synchronizing data from multiple sources to provide users with a unified view.
There are a wide range of possible applications for data integration, from commercial (such as when a ...
*
WhereScape
References
External links
CIO Magazine Award - 20 Most promising productivity tools 'CIO Review', November 10, 2015
{{Data_warehouse
Data management
Data warehousing