Software function Comparison of nine large data warehouse development

What are the data warehousing solution software available for selection in the market? What difference does it have? Can you analyze and compare their performance and characteristics?

Powerful companies such as IBM, Oracle, Sybase, CA, NCR, Informix, Microsoft, and SAS have launched their own data warehousing solutions (through acquisitions or research and development). Professional software companies such as Bo and Brio also have a place in the front-end online analytical processing tools market. The following is an analysis and comparison of the performance and characteristics of these data warehousing solutions.

IBM IBM offers a suite of business intelligence (BI) solutions based on visual data warehouses, including visual Warehouse (VW), ESSBASE/DB2 OLAP Server 5.0, IBM DB2 UDB, and front-end data presentation tools (such as BO) and data mining tools (such as SAS) from third parties. The VW is a powerful integrated environment, which can be used for data warehouse modeling and metadata management, as well as for data extraction, transformation, loading and scheduling. ESSBASE/DB2 OLAP Server supports the definition of "dimension" and data loading. ESSBASE/DB2 OLAP server is not a ROLAP (relational OLAP) server, but rather a hybrid HOLAP server (ROLAP and MOLAP) that is stored in the system-specified DB2 after the essbase completes the data load UDB database.

Strictly speaking, IBM itself does not provide a complete data warehouse solution, the company is to take a partner strategy. For example, its front-end data presentation tools can be business Objects's Bo, lotus approach, Cognos Impromptu, or IBM's query Management facility; Multidimensional Analysis tools Support Arbor Software's Essbase and IBM (jointly developed with Arbor) DB2 OLAP server; the statistical analysis tool uses the SAS system.

Oracle Oracle Data Warehouse solutions mainly include Oracle Express and Oracle Discoverer two parts. Oracle Express is made up of four tools: Oracle Express Server is a MOLAP (multidimensional OLAP) server that utilizes multidimensional models to store and manage multidimensional databases or multidimensional caches while also having access to multiple relational databases; Oracle The Express Web Agent supports web-based dynamic multidimensional data presentation through CGI or Web plug-ins; Oracle Express objects Front-End data analysis tools (currently supported only on Windows platforms) provide graphical modeling and hypothesis analysis capabilities, Support for visual development and event-driven programming techniques that provide a language compatible with Visual Basic syntax, which supports OCX and Ole;oracle Express Analyzer as a general-purpose, end-user-oriented reporting and analysis tool (currently supports only Windows platforms). The Oracle Discoverer Ad hoc query tool is designed specifically for end users and is divided into end-user and Administrator editions.

In the Oracle Data Warehouse solution implementation process, the summary data is usually stored in the Express multidimensional database, while the detailed data is stored in the Oracle relational database, and when detailed data is required, Express server accesses the relational database by constructing the SQL statement. However, the current express is not flexible enough, a change in data warehouse design often leads to the reconstruction of the database. In addition, the current level of integration between Oracle 8i and Express is not high enough, Oracle 8i and express need to replicate metadata, if Oracle Discoverer (or Bo) need to access the rollup data, It is difficult to maintain the summary data in both Oracle and Express. Notably, the Oracle 9i, which has just come out, is an important feature of OLAP and data mining.

The data warehousing solution provided by Sybase Sybase is known as Warehouse Studio, including Data Warehouse modeling, data extraction and transformation, data storage and management, metadata management, and visual data analysis tools. Among them, Warehouse Architect is a design module in PowerDesigner, it supports star model, snowflake model and ER model, and data extraction and conversion tools include Powerstage, Replication Server, Carleton Passport,powerstage is a visual data migration tool provided by Sybase.

Adaptive Server Enterprise is a Sybase enterprise relational database, Adaptive Server IQ is a relational database designed by Sybase for data warehousing, optimized for high-performance decision support systems and data warehousing. Sybase IQ supports a variety of popular front-end presentation tools (such as Cognos Impromptu, Business Objects, Brio query, etc.); Data analysis and presentation tools include Powerdimensions, Englishwizard, Infomaker, PowerDynamo, and so on, Powerdimensions is a graphical OLAP analysis tool that supports SMP and multidimensional caching technology to integrate heterogeneous relational data warehouses and distributed data marts to form a single, new multidimensional model Data Warehouse maintenance and management tools include warehouse control Center, Sybase, distribution Director, warehouse Center is a metadata management tool that is provided for data warehousing developers.

Sybase provides a complete data warehousing solution Quick Start datamart with good performance and support for Third-party data presentation tools. It is easy to see from the name of Quick Start Datamart that it is especially suitable for data mart applications. In addition, Sybase can provide customer relationship management (CRM) products for 4 industries such as telecommunications, finance, insurance, and healthcare, where 80% of the features are common and 20% require Sybase to develop with partners for different needs.

Informix Informix acquired the internationally renowned data warehouse vendor Red Brick system and data management software vendor ardent in 1998 and 1999, and provides a complete, integrated data warehousing solution. The solution also includes a "Quick Launch" consulting service to help users quickly complete the development of a data warehouse or data mart. Informix products can integrate Microsoft IIS or Netscape Enterprise/fasttrack servers to support web-based Data warehouse applications.