High-Risk Discrimination Targets A–L
A — Operational System vs ODS vs DW vs Data Mart
- Operational: executes current transactions.
- ODS: integrated current/near-current, lower latency, more volatile.
- DW: durable integrated history.
- Mart: targeted subject/process/user analytical presentation.
Deciding clue: transaction execution vs current integrated operations vs historical enterprise analysis vs targeted analysis.
B — Inmon/CIF vs Kimball
- Inmon: central normalized enterprise warehouse integration.
- Kimball: dimensional process areas integrated by conformed dimensions/bus.
Deciding clue: where/how enterprise integration is established.
C — Fact vs Dimension vs Conformed Dimension
- Fact = measured process quantity.
- Dimension = descriptive context.
- Conformed Dimension = reusable consistently governed dimension across fact areas/marts.
D — Staging vs persistent analytical storage
Staging prepares/transforms temporarily; DW/marts persist governed analytical data for consumers.
E — Historical Load vs Ongoing CDC
Baseline/backfill vs recurring deltas after baseline exists.
F — Five CDC methods
- Timestamp — simple; physical deletes not inherent.
- Log table — explicit source change records; can include deletes.
- Transaction log — detailed/delete-aware; complex/platform-dependent.
- Message delta — event driven/low latency; reliability/replay controls.
- Full compare — fallback with no good indicator; expensive at scale.
Deciding clue: where reliable change evidence exists plus delete, latency, source-impact and complexity constraints.
G — Trickle vs Messaging vs Streaming
- Trickle = source accumulation.
- Messaging = bus accumulation/distribution.
- Streaming = target buffer/queue accumulation.
H — Mapping vs Remediation vs Transformation
- Mapping: document equivalence/movement/rules.
- Remediation: fix defective data/root cause.
- Transformation: intentionally convert/derive/restructure valid data.
I — Optimistic vs Pessimistic loading
- Optimistic: proceed using controlled provisional member; reconcile later.
- Pessimistic: hold/recycle until dependency valid; reload.
J — Governed self-service vs unmanaged analysis
User-created analysis is self-service only when data, definitions, Metadata, security, publication, and support remain governed.
K — Dictionary/Metadata vs Lineage vs Impact
- meaning/context;
- origin/movement/transformation;
- what would be affected by change.
L — Usage vs Coverage vs Performance vs Satisfaction
- Usage: actual adoption/activity.
- Coverage: breadth of intended analytical business/data scope.
- Performance: load/query/refresh/service behavior.
- Satisfaction: user trust, perceived usefulness, support experience.
Memory: Use it? Cover it? Run it? Value it?
Source anchor: pp. 361–393.