Agile Data Warehouse Design: Collaborative Dimensional Modeling, from Whiteboard to Star Schema Paperback – 24 Nov. 2011

This is the book we've been waiting for in the world of Data Warehousing and Multi Dimensional design. It genuinely tackles Agile for Data Warehousing and does it very well. The secret really is to have iterative collaboration across the board from all interested parties and there are templates and modeling canvases to remind you who should be involved and why. It's a natural and great extension to the wonderful work of Ralph Kimball and augments RB's work and more. I've really enjoyed the very clear notation practice it proposes and it seems to work very well thus far in my practical implementation of the proposed designs. Having been in the DW BI game for 30+ years Ralph's (and colleagues) and now this book makes the job both easier and enjoyable as you are presented with well proven and clear design methodologies. I have personally found it a sheer joy to read with its numerous real life examples and challenges, and better still put into immediate use on a very large scale Data Warehouse project for the Retail industry although it'll fit any industry vertical. Extremely well done Lawrence and Jim.

I bought this book when I noticed the high number of 5 star ratings. I have read it cover to cover and YES it does deserve all 5 stars. The first half of the book provides a simple framework for requirements gathering and modeling a data warehouse with business users. The book really gets technically interesting in the second half when the author explains each dimension type in detail with it's typical business intelligence problems and gives detailed design pattern solutions for modelling them. I really liked the techniques on optimizing large FACT tables. It is very well written, and also provides hints on actual SQL for building and using the dimensional models. I find it very close to actual business scenarios rather than a high-level strategy book about data warehousing. It is always on my desk and I keep referring to it at my work place. The only suggestion I can give the author is to provide an e-book version soon for quick anytime access. Money well spent!!

Bought this for a colleague who is on a challenging Data Warehousing project and he has found it very useful and a good reference point. Well written and lot's of good examples.

This book describes a very pragmatic approach for designing data models for data warehouses.Agile methods and data warehouse design meet each other here.Very clearly written, no fuss, and focused on keeping it simple.It takes the Fact Dimension Diagram (FDD) to a whole new level, and accompanies it with very well worked out examples on how to structure the design process and eventually get a complete design, based on the idea you do not need to understand business processes in detail beforehand, but Just Enough to deliver functionally working data warehouse evolution after evolution.If I would have to list some subjects I think differently about it would be:- the data warehouse matrix: I would maintain details in a data modelling tool and use extended attributes and scripting to generate the data warehouse matrix from it; my point is that the data warehouse matrix is very much related to the physical data model and maintaining the data warehouse matrix AND a data model seems to go against the pragmatism of the rest of the book (the book does hint on using extended attributes in data modelling tools, and a lot of details concern standard facailities within data modelling tools, such as null values, min, max, primary key, etc.)- the author writes that roll-up dimensions should be bases on the base dimension; I disagree, because the roll-up dimension could list more information than could be derived from the base dimension; for example, there can be more product types in use and needed for conformed dimensions than could be derived from one of the base product dimensions; always use the source in my opinion

Excellent and useful insight into Agile and data warehouse design techniques. Easy and fun read for us, Data warehouse developer that had hit the wall many times doing wrong things. This book finally showed me the light. the ModelStorming (data modeling + brainstorming) with BI stakeholders is awesome and revolutionary. In particular, my favorite parts are Chapter 2, BEAM (Business Events Analysis & Modeling) in action by telling stories and describe events using 7Ws (When? Who? What? Where? How Many? Why? How?), story boarding the data warehouse to discover conformed dimensions and plan iterative development and also the Event Matrix while modeling business process. This book is a must-read, highly recommended for all data warehouse developers and architects, especially those still not using Agile methodologies, like those still struggling to deliver successful flexible project using Waterfall approach.

Are you looking for a book on agile data warehousing? So was I, what I did not expect was the content to be so elaborate and yet practical. This book taught me the difference from the bad habits I had (mentioned in this book too) and the practical ways to think about data. This book covers it all, planning and practical, stories and how to really dive in and get hold of your data.Yes, this book teaches you how to get the requirements from the stakeholders. It teaches how to map this to actual models (schema and table). It also helps to clarify the basis of modelling.If you are looking for a book that has re-readable value - here it is. Simple, easy to read and jam packed with useful tips, gotcha's and tips born from experience.