The Information Delivery Domain provides the business user with access to the information in the information warehouse. This includes the staging of and access to the information by the end users.
5.1. Information Staging
Information Staging is the process by which the data, that a particular user or group of user wishes to analyze, are drawn from the atomic portion of the Information Warehouse and served for subsequent analysis.
Examples of information staging are:
- Transient Results Staging (Results Server)
- Formal Data Marts
- Dynamic Data Marts
- Population of an OLAP Middle Tier Server
- Frozen in time Extracts of atomic data for Data Mining (may be formal or dynamic).
- Statistical Analysis Data Subsets
5.2. Information Delivery (Data Warehouse Applications)
The Data Warehouse Applications are the analytical systems that are centrally managed within the Information Warehouse Domain. The classes of Data Warehouse Applications described here as sub-components are:
- Reporting and Query
- Decision Support Systems (DSS)
- Executive Information Systems (EIS)
- Data Mining
- Information Transformation Systems (ITS).
5.2.1. Reporting and Query
Reporting and Query describes the class of applications that support ad hoc and structured data retrieval.
Reporting and Query features include:
- Ease of use
- Graphical development (point and click) capabilities
- Advanced statistical functions
- Advanced financial functions
- Graphical display capabilities
- Scheduling capabilities
- Efficient operation.
Additionally, Reporting and Query supports:
- Atandard SQL (in use and in generated code)
- Integration with libraries of statistical functions
- Integration with libraries of financial functions
- 4GL development and integration
- Performance monitoring
- Cost estimating
- Accounting functions
- Security requirements.
5.2.2. Decision Support Systems
DSS applications facilitate interactive analysis of data for decision making.
DSS features include:
- Drill down / drill up (and reach through) capability
- An easy to navigate interface
- Multidimensional representation of data
- The features associated with Reporting and Query.
5.2.3. Executive Information Systems
EIS applications provide guided interactive selection and presentation of strategic information from a variety of sources.
EIS features include:
- Integration of multiple information sources and media
- Advanced interaction capabilities
- Intuitive operation with an intuitive interface
- Guided navigation and operation
- The features associated with DSS.
5.2.4. Data Mining
Data Mining applications enable the discovery of patterns and relationships of data. The knowledge may be used to predict behavior in the marketplace and/or the business environment, to create new business opportunities, or to affect changes in the business strategy. Data Mining applications that employ neural network technology are capable of learning.
Data Mining features include:
- Pattern recognition in data
- Higher order statistical functions.
Additionally, Data Mining supports:
- Clustering of data
- Segmentation of data
- Classification of data.
5.2.5. Information Transformation Systems
ITS describes the class of applications that transform the Information Warehouse data into derived data to satisfy specific business or technical requirements. Typical transformations address calculations and aggregations of atomic level Data Warehouse data applied interactively or in batch mode.
ITS features include:
- Data summarization, aggregation, denormalization, and consolidation
- Efficient operation.
ITS interactive features include:
- An easy to navigate interface
- Multidimensional representation of data.
5.3. Data Access
Data Access enables the delivery of business information from the Information Warehouse Domain to the Business Analysis Domain. It provides for the connectivity, translation, location, transport, and delivery of data. Data can be accessed using intra/internet, WAN, and LAN technologies.
The sub-components of Data Access are:
- Standards and Protocols
- Data Access Middleware (hardware and software).
5.3.1. Standards & Protocols
Standards and Protocols are local and industry technical specifications that must be followed in order to achieve openness, portability, interoperability, and connectivity in a networked client/server environment. They represent rules and requirements that must be satisfied when selecting products, configuring platforms, and coding application software.
The Data Access Standards and Protocols features include compliance with industry technical standards such as:
- ODBC, JDBC
- SQL
- OLE/DDE
- TCP/IP
- POSIX
- X/OPEN
- OSF
- OSI
- DCE
- SQL Access Group (SAG)
- ANSI SQL 92
- ISO Remote Database Access (RDA)
- Compatibility with the Corporate Data Warehouse and Data Mart (DM) Database Management Systems (DBMSs)
- Independence from the physical elements of the platforms (operating system, DBMS) and the network
- Logical interfaces and common application programming interfaces (APIs) to software and network services.