Strange star schema created by tutorial

Hi, I have a fresh and clean installation of BI SE1.
I followed the steps for the tutorial (those related to OWB and created the data mart).
I really don't understand what kind of star schema is the resulting one and I think there might be a bug in OWB.
In "Sales" table there are no rows referencing those records in dimensions which have negative dimension keys. So why generating those rows in dimensions? They are useless...

I understand that...But
1) don't you think that, if you do not generate an aggregate sales table, it would have been better to use a table in OWB for dimension tables and not dimensions, so that those useless (useless if you do not generate an aggregate sales table) rows wouldn't have been generated?
2) the Channels dimension in BISE1_SALESWH is not correct, in fact it is different from that in BISE1_TUTORIALWH.
Regards

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Error with creating star schema using HsvStarSchemaACM

Hi,
I am trying to create a star schema using the API HsvStarSchemaACM. But when calling the create function of API, i get the below exception. Exception from HRESULT: 0x80040251 (A general error occurred while trying to obtain a database Reader/Writer lock). Is this something to do with the parameters passed and its connections(connection works fine and createstarschema is running thru workspace).
Any solutions to this is more welcome.
Thanks,
Logu

Can you provide details on HsvStarSchemaACM API? How is it related to ODI?

How you we design and create a star schema in Oracle BI?

We can use Informatica to generate ETL. But how do we design the star-schema?? Is there a design tool like Oracle Designer??
What is the purpose of the DAC??

Hi,
You can handle the star schema design in the BMM layer. No separate tool for that.
Refer-
http://gerardnico.com/wiki/data_modeling/star_schema
DAC-
Data Warehouse Application Console (DAC) works together with Informatica to acomplish the ETL for pre-packaged BI application.
- DAC publish the changes from OLTP
- Informatica extracts the changes from the change log published by DAC as well as from the base table
- Informatica load the data to the stage tables and the target tables in the data warehouse
- DAC manage the performance by dropping indexes, truncating stage tables, rebuilding the indexes, and analyzing the tables during the process
If you do not use DAC, you have to write your own custom change capture process and need to redesign from scratch an ETL method that allow the restart of the ETL process from point of failure at record level. The biggest saving is that DAC can survive during the upgrade , while your custom processes cannot.
Refer-
http://obieetraining11.blogspot.in/2012/06/how-to-use-dac-source-system-parameter.html
Hope this helped/ answered.
Regards
MuRam
Edited by: MuRam on Jun 25, 2012 2:37 AM

Star schema and Infoprovider

Hello,
maybe this question is strange but is it necessary to create for each Infoprovider / Infocube one star schema?
Thanks in advance

Hi
I t is imperative that you refer some documentation related to BI Modeling. There are a couple of good docs. available which explain in detail about building an Infocube based on star schema to meet certain reporting requirement.
From your statement, it is clear that you still need to get a better of understanding of the modeling. Instead refer to the link below. It's a fantastic document.
http://www.sdn.sap.com/irj/scn/index?rid=/library/uuid/6ce7b0a4-0b01-0010-52ac-a6e813c35a84
Cheers
Umesh

Understanding Star Schema Operations

Hi All,
I worked on Oracle Answers and have knowledge on Data Warehousing concepts. I have enough oracle documentation on OLAP, OBIEE, Data Warehousing.
But i 'm not able to understand the star schema concepts in and out. I'm lost on all documents, where i'm getting the simple answer on the following topics:
1. Is it necessary to create dimensions using CREATE DIMENTION or it can be a simple relational table structure with CREATE TABLE statement?
2. What will be the steps to create a very basic/simple star schema using DML statements not using any tool?
3. Where I can get very basic level step by step tutorial to create a very simple star schema by sql -> loading test data by sql commands -> then what queries we can use to get BI reports or using OBIEE to create a simple rpd.
Please give me some idea on this as I have to create a small OBIEE repository where i have to do create the warehouse and ETL process, everything.
Pls advise.
Thanks in Advance.
Sudipta

No my question was on creating the star schema. If i have to create a very simple star schema then can I create the star schema with the following relational tables?
create table dim_products (
product_id number primary key,
product_name varchar2(32),
brand varchar2(32),
category_name varchar(32),
sub_category_name varchar2(32)
create table dim_time (
time_id number primary key,
selling_date date,
selling_day number(2),
selling_month varchar2(12),
selling_Quarter varchar2(6),
year number(4)
create table dim_region (
region_id number primary key,
store_name varchar2(32),
city_name varchar2(32),
state_name varchar2(32),
country_name varchar2(32),
region_name varchar2(32)
create table fact_sales (
sale_id number primary key,
region_id number ,
time_id number ,
product_id number ,
unit_sold number,
constraint fact_sales1 foreign key (region_id) references dim_region (region_id),
constraint fact_sales2 foreign key (time_id) references dim_time (time_id),
constraint fact_sales3 foreign key (product_id) references dim_products (product_id)
Or I have to create the DIMENSIONS explicitly, in order to building the hierarchy levels?
Regards
Sudipta

Using two facts of two different star schemas and conformed dimensions

Hi,
I've been working as developer and database designer for years and I'm new to Business Objects. Some people says you can not use two facts of two different star schemas in the same query because of conformed dimensions and loop problems in BO.
For example I have a CUSTOMER_SALE_fACT table containing customer_id and date_id as FK, and some other business metrics about sales. And there is another fact table CUSTOMER_CAMPAIGN_FACT which also contains customer_id and date_id as FK, and some other business metrics about customer campaigns. SO I have two stars like below:
DIM_TIME -- SALE_FACT -- DIM_CUSTOMER
DIM_TIME -- CAMPAIGN_FACT -- DIM_CUSTOMER
Business metrics are loaded into fact tables and facts can be used together along conformed dimensions . This is one of the fundamentals of the dimensional modeling. Is it really impossible to use SALE_FACT and CAMPAIGN_FACT together? If the answer is No, what is the solution?
Saying "you cannot do that because of loops" is very interesting.
Thank you..

When you join two facts together with a common dimension you have created what is called a "chasm trap" which leads to invalid results because of the way SQL is processed. The query rows are first retrieved and then aggregated. Since sales fact and campaign fact have no direct relationship, the rows coming from either side can end up as a product join.
Suppose a customer has 3 sales fact rows and 2 campaign fact rows. The result set will have six rows before any aggregation is performed. That would mean that sales measures are doubled and campaign measures are tripled.
You can report on them together, using multiple SQL passes, but you can't query them together. Does that distinction make sense?

Injecting data into a star schema from a flat staging table

I'm trying to work out a best approach for getting data from a very flat staging table and then loading it into a star schema - I take a row from a table with for example 50 different attributes about a person and then load these into a host of different tables, including linking tables.
One of the attibutes in the staging table will be an instruction to either insert the person and their new data, or update a person and some component of their data or maybe even to terminate a persons records.
I plan to use PL/SQL but I'm not sure on the best approach.
The staging table data will be loaded every 10 minutes and will contain about 300 updates.
I'm not sure if I should just select the staging records into a cursor then insert into the various tables?
Has anyone got any working examples based on a similar experience?
I can provide a working example if required.

The database has some elements that make SQL a tad harder to use?
For example:
CREATE TABLE staging
(person_id NUMBER(10) NOT NULL ,
title VARCHAR2(15) NULL ,
initials VARCHAR2(5) NULL ,
forename VARCHAR2(30) NULL ,
middle_name VARCHAR2(30) NULL ,
surname VARCHAR2(50) NULL,
dial_number VARCHAR2(30) NULL,
Is_Contactable CHAR(1) NULL);
INSERT INTO staging
(person_id, title, initials, forename, middle_name, surname, dial_number)
VALUES ('12345', 'Mr', 'NULL', 'Joe', NULL, 'Bloggs', '0117512345','Y')
CREATE TABLE person
(person_id NUMBER(10) NOT NULL ,
title VARCHAR2(15) NULL ,
initials VARCHAR2(5) NULL ,
forename VARCHAR2(30) NULL ,
middle_name VARCHAR2(30) NULL ,
surname VARCHAR2(50) NULL);
CREATE UNIQUE INDEX XPKPerson ON Person
(Person_ID ASC);
ALTER TABLE Person
ADD CONSTRAINT XPKPerson PRIMARY KEY (Person_ID);
CREATE TABLE person_comm
(person_id NUMBER(10) NOT NULL ,
comm_type_id NUMBER(10) NOT NULL ,
comm_id NUMBER(10) NOT NULL );
CREATE UNIQUE INDEX XPKPerson_Comm ON Person_Comm
(Person_ID ASC,Comm_Type_ID ASC,Comm_ID ASC);
ALTER TABLE Person_Comm
ADD CONSTRAINT XPKPerson_Comm PRIMARY KEY (Person_ID,Comm_Type_ID,Comm_ID);
CREATE TABLE person_comm_preference
(person_id NUMBER(10) NOT NULL ,
comm_type_id NUMBER(10) NOT NULL
Is_Contactable CHAR(1) NULL);
CREATE UNIQUE INDEX XPKPerson_Comm_Preference ON Person_Comm_Preference
(Person_ID ASC,Comm_Type_ID ASC);
ALTER TABLE Person_Comm_Preference
ADD CONSTRAINT XPKPerson_Comm_Preference PRIMARY KEY (Person_ID,Comm_Type_ID);
CREATE TABLE comm_type
comm_type_id NUMBER(10) NOT NULL ,
NAME VARCHAR2(25) NULL ,
description VARCHAR2(100) NULL ,
comm_table_name VARCHAR2(50) NULL);
CREATE UNIQUE INDEX XPKComm_Type ON Comm_Type
(Comm_Type_ID ASC);
ALTER TABLE Comm_Type
ADD CONSTRAINT XPKComm_Type PRIMARY KEY (Comm_Type_ID);
insert into comm_type (comm_type_id, NAME, description, comm_table_name) values ('23456','HOME PHONE','Home Phone Number','PHONE');
CREATE TABLE phone
(phone_id NUMBER(10) NOT NULL ,
dial_number VARCHAR2(30) NULL);
Take the record from Staging then update:
'person'
'Person_Comm_Preference' Based on a comm_type of 'HOME_PHONE'
'person_comm' Derived from 'Person' and 'Person_Comm_Preference'
Then update 'Phone' with the number based on a link derived from 'Phone' which is made up of Person_Comm Primary_Key where 'Comm_ID' (part of that composite key)
relates to the Phone table Primary_Key which is Phone_ID.
Does you head hurt as much as mine?

Why do we need SSIS and star schema of Data Warehouse?

If SSAS in MOLAP mode stores data, what is the application of SSIS and why do we need a Data Warehouse and the ETL process of SSIS?
I have a SQL Server OLTP database. I am using SSIS to transfer my SQL Server data from OLTP database to a Data Warehouse database that contains fact and dimension tables.
After that I want to create cubes using SSAS form Data Warehouse data.
I know that MOLAP stores data. Do I need any Data warehouse with Fact and Dimension tables?
Is not it better to avoid creating Data warehouse and create cubes directly from OLTP database?

Another thing to note is data stored in transactional system may not always be in end user consumable format for ex. we may use bit fields/flags to represent some details in OLTP as storage required ius minimum but presenting them as is would not make any
sense to user as they would not know what each bit value represents. In such cases we apply some transformations and convert data into useful information for users to understand. This is also in the warehouse so that information in warehouse can directly be
used for reporting. Also in many cases the report will merge data from multiple source systems so merging it on the fly in report would be tedious and would have hit on report server. In comparison bringing them onto common layer (warehouse) and prebuilding
aggregates would be benefitial for the report performance.
I think (not sure) we join tables in SSAS queries and calculate aggregations in it.
I think SSAS stores these values and joined tables and we do not need to evaluates those values again and this behavior is like a Data Warehouse.
Is not it?
So if I do not need historical data, Can I avoid creating Data Warehouse?
On the backend SSAS uses queries only to extract the data
B/w I was not explaining on SSAS. I was explaining on what happens inside datawarehouse which is a relational database by itself. SSAS is used to built cube (OLAP structures) on top of datawarehouse. star schema is easier for defining relationships
and buidling aggregations inside SSAS as its simple and requires minimal lookups to be performed. Also data would be held at lowest granularity level which can easily be aggregated to required levels inside OLAP cubes. Cube processing is very resource
intensive and using OLTP system would really have a huge impact on processing performance as its nnot denormalized and also doing tranformation etc on the fly adds up to complexity. Precreating a layer (data warehouse) having data in required format would
make cube processing easier and simpler as it has to just cross join tables and aggregate data based on relationships defined and level needed inside the cube.
Please Mark This As Answer if it helps to solve the issue Visakh ---------------------------- http://visakhm.blogspot.com/ https://www.facebook.com/VmBlogs

Regarding Extended star schema

Hi Friends,
In Extended star schema,master data will load separately ,which will connect through sid's to dimension table .
My question is.. This master data tables can be used other than this cube ?
Please tell me i am in confusion.
Thanks in advace,
Regards,
ramnaresh.

Hi
InfoCubes are made up of a number of InfoObjects. All InfoObjects (characteristics and key figures) are available independent of the InfoCube. Characteristics refer to master data with their attributes and text descriptions.
An InfoCube consists of several InfoObjects and is structured according to the star schema. This means there is a (large) fact table that contains the key figures for the InfoCube, as well as several (smaller) dimension tables which surround it. The characteristics of the InfoCube are stored in these dimensions.
An InfoCube fact table only contains key figures, in contrast to a DataStore object, whose data part can also contain characteristics. The characteristics of an InfoCube are stored in its dimensions.
The dimensions and the fact table are linked to one another using abstract identification numbers (dimension IDs) which are contained in the key part of the particular database table. As a result, the key figures of the InfoCube relate to the characteristics of the dimension. The characteristics determine the granularity (the degree of detail) at which the key figures are stored in the InfoCube.
Characteristics that logically belong together (for example, district and area belong to the regional dimension) are grouped together in a dimension. By adhering to this design criterion, dimensions are to a large extent independent of each other, and dimension tables remain small with regards to data volume. This is beneficial in terms of performance. This InfoCube structure is optimized for data analysis.
The fact table and dimension tables are both relational database tables.
Characteristics refer to the master data with their attributes and text descriptions. All InfoObjects (characteristics with their master data as well as key figures) are available for all InfoCubes, unlike dimensions, which represent the specific organizational form of characteristics in one InfoCube.
Integration
You can create aggregates to access data quickly. Here, the InfoCube data is stored redundantly and in an aggregated form.
You can either use an InfoCube directly as an InfoProvider for analysis and reporting, or use it with other InfoProviders as the basis of a MultiProvider or InfoSet.
See also:
Checking the Data Loaded in the InfoCube
If the above info is useful, please grant me points

Trouble with star schema

Hi All,
I have a star schema in place with 8 dimension and 1 fact table.
But due to some specific requirement, I need to denormalize the schema. I want to copy all fields from all dimension tables to the fact table.
I know this sounds bad but I have to do it. pls dont ask why..
Now, the same can be done using a materialized view but the problem in MV is there are fields which are present in 2 or more table with the same column name, due to which I cant create a MV.
Is there some other way to achieve this goal.
BRK.

I have too many records which is affecting the performance of the database.
But now its raising performance problems.Your application had a performance problem. Somebody guessed that a star schema would solve the problem. But it hasn't. So now you intend to implement some spavined variant on star schema because somebody has suggested that complete de-normalisation might solve the problem.
Is this a demonstrable fact (you have benchmarks and explain plans to justify it) or just a guess?
I know how difficult this sort of thing can be, because I've been working through some similar scenario for a while now. The important thing is get some decent metrics on your application. Use statspack. Use the wait interface. Find out where your application is spending its time and figure out what you need to do to reduce the waits. Benchmark some alternatives. This may result in you having to re-write your code but at least you'll be doing so in the knowledge
Cheers, APC
Blog : http://radiofreetooting.blogspot.com/

Design Fixed Assets Star Schema from OLTP DB

Hi,
Scope : Design Fixed Assets logical Star Schema for Demonstrate with OLTP tables
Our platform is Oracle 10g Forms and Reports deployed on Oracle 10g App Server._ At the moment we don’t have data warehouse constructed. We are pumping OLTP Data into Staging DB thru jobs and then by using materialized views getting the data in DWH DB which is in progress.
OBIEE 10g installed and working fine for testing.
We are planning to implement OBIEE for Reporting. As a starting point I would like to design Fixed Assets star schema to demonstrate FA reports in OBIEE from OLTP Tables.
FA- OLTP Tables:_
AC_UNIT_MASTR           – Business Units
AC_ACNT_MASTR           - Nominal Codes
AC_COST_CENTR_MASTR      - Departments
AC_MANTN_ASTS           - Assets transaction table
AC_AST_BAL_DETLS           – Period wise Asset summary
AC_AST_BAL_DETLS_V      - View
To achieve this
1).Import tables in physical layer and set physical joins
2).identify and create dimensions and set complex joins and then move to presentation layer.
Please suggest best approach to design Repository
Thanks
Regards,
Kulkarni
Edited by: hai_shailesh on Jan 25, 2012 11:36 PM
Edited by: hai_shailesh on Jan 25, 2012 11:38 PM
Edited by: hai_shailesh on Jan 25, 2012 11:39 PM

Hi Saichand,
Thanks for the response.
Already i referred that doc and completed practically. now i have to work on Finance data . as a starting point working with Fixed Assets module. already i designed centralised fact with dimensions as below
in physical&BMM layer defined relationship as below()
AC_UNIT_MASTR_D                  --> AC_AST_BAL_DETLS_F
AC_ACNT_YEAR_MASTR_D        --> AC_AST_BAL_DETLS_F
AC_ACNT_PERD_MASTR_D        --> AC_AST_BAL_DETLS_F
AC_COST_CENTR_MASTR_D      --> AC_AST_BAL_DETLS_F
AC_AST_GRP_MASTR_D            --> AC_AST_BAL_DETLS_F
AC_AST_SUBGRP_MASTR_D      --> AC_AST_BAL_DETLS_F
and
AC_ACNT_YEAR_MASTR_D        --> AC_ACNT_PERD_MASTR_D
When iam trying to create a dimension for Periods(AC_ACNT_PERD_MASTR) , Periods dimesnion created with two tables
AC_ACNT_YEAR_MASTR_D,AC_ACNT_PERD_MASTR_D
Please advice..
Regards,
Kulkarni

How to convert database in 3NF to Star schema

Hi
Can anyone help me out to convert the database in 3NF to Star schema so that it can be used for Business Intelligence.
Our Application will be populating the database in normal 3NF form which may be difficult for the intelligence to generate queries from it. From the documents given, i saw that only star schema containing dimensions table and fact table is simpler to generate reports. Is there any tool that would convert the schema from 3NF to star schema?
Regards
S. Kokila

Hi,
I do not know any tools that would do this for you. You can apply a certain logic to create your dimensions and facts, but decisions will have to be taken along the way.
You need to know the basis of database design for datawarehousing. A few good books and articles are available on the subject.
Bonne lecture!

Star schema design, metrics dimension or not.

Hello Guys,
I just heard from one of my colleagues that its wise to
have an "KPI" or "metrics" dimension in my DWH star schema (later used in OBIEE).
Now, we have quite a lot of data 100 000 rows per day (botton leve, non-aggregated, the aggregations are obviously far less then that, lets say 200 rows per day) and
we have build pre-aggregated data marts for each of the 5 very static reports (OBIEE Publisher).
The table structure is very simple
e.g.
Date,County,NumberofCars,RevenuePerCar, ExpensesPerCar, BreakEvenPerCar, CarType
One could exclude the metrics "NumberofCars","RevenuePerCar", "ExpensesPerCar", "BreakEvenPerCar"
and put them into a metrics dimension.
MetricID Metric
1 NumberofCars
2 RevenuePerCar
3 ExpensesPerCar
4 BreakEvenPerCar
and hence the fact table design would be simpler.
Date,County,MetricID,Metric, CarType
Disadvanatages: A join is required
We would have to redesign our tables
tables are not aggregated anymore for specific metric types
if we notice performance is bad, we would need to go back to the old design
Advantages : Should new metrics appear, we dont have to change the design of the tables
its probably best practice
Note: date, country and cartype are already dimensions. we are just missing one to differentiate the metrics/KPI's
So I struggle a bit, what should I do? Redesign, or stick to the way I have done it, having
performance optimization in mind.
Thanks

"Usually the date is stored in sales table or product table.
ut here why they created separate Dimension table for date(Dim_date)? "
You should provide the link.
A good place to start with the basic concepts is :
http://www.ralphkimball.com/
Pick up some of his books and start going through them.
My recommendation would be
The Data Warehouse Toolkit, 2nd Edition: The Complete Guide to Dimensional Modeling
John Wiley & Sons, 2002 (436 pages
Good Luck.,

Star schema question

Hi,
I have a question about the realization of the star schema. I have familiarized me with the basic concepts of dimensions and fact tables. But what I don’t get is how I “combine” the dimensions with the fact table. I know that the fact table includes the dimension-IDs and measures. But do I use the joiner-operator in the OWB to join the dimension-ID (IDs of the dims are the criteria for the joiner condition) to create the fact table?
So my understanding is when I have for example 3 dimensions (product dimension, sales dimension, time dimension) and one fact table.
The realization looks like this:
product dim ->
sales dim -> joiner operator = fact table with the IDs of the dims and measure
time dim ->
Please correct me if I am wrong.
If there is something that I can read to this subject of matter it would be very nice if someone could post it.
Thx

Hi,
first you load the dimensions. Every entry has an id (surrogate key) and some business key (coming from the data source).
When you load the fact, you use the business key from the data source to join (using a joiner or lookup operator) the dimension and get the id (surrogate key) from it. You only load the id and the measures into the fact table.
Make sure to handle the case that the business key is null or no entry in the dimension can be found.
If you query the fact table you must always join the dimensions.
Regards,
Carsten.

Star Schema tables Creation

If I am creating a BI analytical application from sample Sales Hisotory schema's transactional data, what is the first Step I need to do? Should I create a star schema from the transactional tables? If this is correct, What I tool I need to use to create such tables with data? I believe once this is done I can create dimensions , measures and cubes using OWM11g. Some on please help me. I am very very new to OLAP , But has lots of interest in it
Thanks
George

Hi George,
If you are working with 11g - did you install all the latest patches? I strongly recommend applying all available patches when working with 11g. All the information you need is here - http://www.oracle.com/technology/products/bi/olap/collateral/olap_certification.html
As for your question about the criteria for desgining dimension tables, the best advice I can offer is to work with star or snowflake dimensions. You can also see sample schema designs for both at these links
Also, in case you haven't already seen it, there is a good blog posting on working with different kinds of dimensions/hierarchies here - http://oracleolap.blogspot.com/2008/01/olap-workshop-4-managing-different.html
Finally, you might find this [white paper|http://www.oracle.com/technology/products/warehouse/pdf/Benefits%20of%20a%20multi-dimensional%20model.pdf] useful as you say you are new to OLAP
Let me know how you get on
Thanks,
Stuart Bunby
OLAP Blog: http://oracleOLAP.blogspot.com
OLAP Wiki: http://wiki.oracle.com/page/Oracle+OLAP+Option
OLAP on OTN: http://www.oracle.com/technology/products/bi/olap/index.html
DW on OTN : http://www.oracle.com/technology/products/bi/db/11g/index.html

Strange star schema created by tutorial

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