Data Warehousing - Links

Computing in data warehouses is often referred to as Online Analytical Processing (OLAP), in contrast to Online Transaction Processing (OLTP) -- used for normal business activities.

Data Storage.   There are several data storage technologies that are important when maintaining a large data warehouse. A SAN, or Storage Area Network, is a high-speed network of shared storage devices that provide consolidated storage and storage management. These systems can be highly scalable and can provide high availability with low total cost of ownership. There are many commercial firms that specialize in providing SANs and other storage technologies.

Data backup is another important issue for any data warehouse. Traditional systems used daily backups onto magnetic tape, but now it is very common to do real-time disk-to-disk backup which allows for zero-loss of data and low cost of ownership.