DB2 OLAP Server: theory and practices

Contents......Page 5
Figures......Page 9
Tables......Page 11
Preface......Page 13
The team that wrote this redbook......Page 14
Comments welcome......Page 17
1.1 Best practice begins with good theory......Page 19
1.2.1 Decision support theory......Page 21
1.2.3 Model management and system dynamics......Page 22
1.3 Position dependence versus position independence......Page 23
1.4 A different data model at a very fundamental level......Page 24
1.5 The issue of data redundancy......Page 27
1.6 DB2 OLAP multidimensional databases are matrices......Page 28
1.7 The data block and index explained......Page 30
1.7.1 Block creation explored......Page 31
1.7.2 Matrix explosion......Page 32
1.8.1 Avoid inter-dimensional irrelevance......Page 35
1.8.2 Combine dimensions where possible......Page 37
1.9 Summary......Page 38
2.1 Introduction......Page 39
2.2 The OLAP checklist......Page 40
3.1 Importance of project management for OLAP......Page 47
3.2.1 OLAP database......Page 48
3.2.3 OLAP project team structure......Page 49
3.3.2 Choosing an environment......Page 50
3.3.3 Planning and analysis (requirements and design)......Page 51
3.4 Acceptance testing......Page 54
4.1.1 Training and team building......Page 57
4.1.2 High level modeling......Page 58
4.3 Basic matrix database concepts......Page 61
4.3.1 The concept of sparseness: dimension tags......Page 63
4.4.1 Dimensionality and business logic......Page 67
4.4.2 Considerations on use of member tags......Page 70
4.4.3 Considerations on consolidation types......Page 76
4.4.4 Sparse/dense methodology......Page 78
4.5 Considerations on database calculation......Page 84
4.5.2 Dynamic calculations reviewed......Page 85
4.5.3 Focusing calculations......Page 88
4.6 Performance tuning: the buffers......Page 91
4.6.1 Guidelines for configuring DB2 OLAP caches......Page 92
4.6.2 The calculator cache......Page 93
4.7 Data compression......Page 95
4.7.1 RLE compression and array declaration......Page 96
4.8.2 What does SET MSG ONLY do?......Page 98
4.8.3 SET MSG ONLY application log example using Sample::Basic......Page 99
4.8.4 What can you do with SET MSG ONLY?......Page 100
4.8.5 What you need to know about SET MSG ONLY......Page 101
4.9 Intelligent calculation......Page 102
4.10.1 Partitioning tips and strategies......Page 104
4.10.2 The application log......Page 107
4.10.3 Data load optimization......Page 109
4.10.4 Building a security model......Page 111
4.11 Final comment......Page 114
5.1 Introduction......Page 115
5.2 Interview results......Page 116
5.2.1 Steve Beier’s interview......Page 117
5.2.2 George Trudel’s interview......Page 125
5.2.3 Mark Rich’s interview......Page 135
5.2.4 Joe Scovell’s and Jacques Chenot’s interviews......Page 145
5.2.5 Anonymous person’s interview......Page 155
5.2.6 Rich Semetulskis’ and Alan Farkas’ interview......Page 162
5.2.7 Aster Hupkes’ interview......Page 164
A.1 What is a datamart?......Page 173
A.2.1 Determining the granularity......Page 175
A.3 Deciding the dimensionality......Page 179
A.3.1 Product and geography type dimensions......Page 181
A.3.2 Browser type dimensions......Page 182
A.3.3 Customer bank account number dimensions......Page 184
A.4 Understanding attributes and base dimensions......Page 185
A.5.1 Optimizing regular dimension tables......Page 186
A.5.2 Optimizing time dimensions......Page 187
A.6 Conclusion......Page 188
B.1 Overview......Page 189
B.2 Decision: the initial IS implementation......Page 192
B.2.2 Existing data warehouse or datamart or star schema......Page 193
B.3.1 The dimensional model......Page 194
B.4 IS installation and environment configuration......Page 202
B.4.1 IS environment configuration recommendations......Page 203
B.5.1 Building the IS model......Page 205
B.6.1 Building the IS metaoutline......Page 211
B.6.2 Loading data......Page 213
B.6.3 IS drill-through functionality......Page 214
C.1 Context and business scenario......Page 217
C.2 Proposed approach......Page 218
C.2.1 Building a relational datamart......Page 220
C.2.2 Using Intelligent Miner for Data for designing OLAP dimensions......Page 222
C.2.3 Using OIS to build OLAP databases......Page 225
C.2.4 Using Analyzer as a reporting tool......Page 229
C.3 Summary......Page 234
D.1 What properties are needed in an OLAP reporting tool?......Page 235
D.2 What about DB2 OLAP Server Analyzer?......Page 236
D.2.1 Interactive and analytical capabilities......Page 237
D.2.2 Deployment capability......Page 238
D.2.3 API toolkit......Page 241
D.2.4 Leveraging DB2 OLAP......Page 243
E.2 Overview of Web log files......Page 245
E.3.1 Web log fields......Page 246
E.3.3 Sessionization methods......Page 247
E.4.1 Session cookies......Page 248
E.5 Additional issues......Page 249
E.6.1 Sample Web log entry......Page 250
E.6.2 Two sample OLAP models......Page 252
E.7 Conclusion: Integration......Page 254
Appendix F. OLAP model development short checklist......Page 255
Appendix G. Special notices......Page 259
H.2 IBM Redbooks collections......Page 263
H.4 Referenced Web sites......Page 264
How to get IBM Redbooks......Page 265
IBM Redbooks fax order form......Page 266
Glossary......Page 267
Index......Page 273
IBM Redbooks review......Page 281