Leveraging the Microsoft
Repository in Your Warehouse
Saeed K. Rahimi
Graduate Programs in Software
University of St. Thomas
DWSoft Corporation
Contents
 Data Warehousing and Repository
 The Open Information Model and Meta
Data Coalition
 Microsoft’s Data Warehousing Strategy
 Integrating the Repository Into Your
Warehouse
© Copyright 2000 Saeed K. Rahimi
DAMA Presentation, August 2000
Page 2
Data Warehouse Architecture
Operational
Data
Data warehouse Life Cycle
DM
• Extract
• Cleans
• Transform
• Load
DW
DM
DM
Metadata Services
SQL Server 7.5 - Object Persistence Services
Repository
© Copyright 2000 Saeed K. Rahimi
DAMA Presentation, August 2000
Page 3
What is Metadata? (Continued)
 Information not just data





What is 122599?
Is it an integer number?
A string?
Christmas day 1999?
Repository provides metadata about this:

mmddyy
© Copyright 2000 Saeed K. Rahimi
DAMA Presentation, August 2000
Page 4
What Is Metadata?
 Information about your

Systems
Source systems,
 Warehouse systems,
 Processes
 Etc.


Databases
Source databases
 Warehouse databases

 Table
 Columns
© Copyright 2000 Saeed K. Rahimi
DAMA Presentation, August 2000
Page 5
What Is Metadata?
 Information about your

Transformations
From source system to data warehouse
 From data warehouse to source systems


Calculations

Total-Sales = amount*quantity – discount +
shipping&handling
© Copyright 2000 Saeed K. Rahimi
DAMA Presentation, August 2000
Page 6
What Is Metadata? (Continued)
OLAP information

Sales cube
TotalSales measure
 Time, product, geography dimensions

 Other information


Reporting Tools
Modeling Tools
© Copyright 2000 Saeed K. Rahimi
DAMA Presentation, August 2000
Page 7
Metadata Benefits
 Roadmap to information in the warehouse
 What is in the warehouse
 What it means
 How to get the information
 Who owns it
 When it was created
 How it was created/generated
© Copyright 2000 Saeed K. Rahimi
DAMA Presentation, August 2000
Page 8
Metadata Benefits
 All users that interact with the warehouse
will benefit from enhanced information
 Analysts can better understand what data is
available, and how it was calculated
 Maintains a history prior to current
processes
© Copyright 2000 Saeed K. Rahimi
DAMA Presentation, August 2000
Page 9
Metadata Benefits (Continued)
 Provides a common frame of reference –
“what does total sales mean”
 Provides a central storage location of
warehouse knowledge (helps with turnover,
growth)
 Allows enterprises to ensure data
marts/warehouses are built using common
terms and goals
© Copyright 2000 Saeed K. Rahimi
DAMA Presentation, August 2000
Page 10
Open Information Model
 The schema for the repository
 Common set of core definitions to promote sharing
of information among different tools and vendors
 Covers basic set of sub-models
 Created with help/input from over 20 partners and
reviewed by 300
 Microsoft has transferred rights to evolve the OIM
to the meta data coalition (MDC)
© Copyright 2000 Saeed K. Rahimi
DAMA Presentation, August 2000
Page 11
MDC OIM Components
 Current components







Unified Modeling Language (UML)
Relational database schema
Data transformations
Multidimensional schema (OLAP)
English semantics
Legacy databases
Component descriptions
 Components under review



Report definitions
Entity/relationship diagrams
Business engineering
© Copyright 2000 Saeed K. Rahimi
DAMA Presentation, August 2000
Page 12
Sample OIM Constructs
Transformation – mapping from
Source column to Target column
TfmTransformationHasTargetColumns
TfmTransformationHasSourceColumns
ITfmTransformation
TfmObjectSetConsistsOfObject
ITfmTransformableObjectSet
© Copyright 2000 Saeed K. Rahimi
DAMA Presentation, August 2000
ITfmTransformableObject
(Columns)
Page 13
Virtual Relationship
This
This
A
A
B
VS
B
C
C
D
D
© Copyright 2000 Saeed K. Rahimi
DAMA Presentation, August 2000
Page 14
Virtual Properties
This
This
A
A
a
b
VS
B
c
C
a b c d e
B
D
d
© Copyright 2000 Saeed K. Rahimi
c
C
D
e
d
DAMA Presentation, August 2000
e
Page 15
Microsoft’s Strategy Impact
 Prior to SQL server 7.0, DW was primarily
available only to very large companies
 Tools were expensive, expertise hard to find
 Microsoft has lowered the bar by bundling
components (with SQL server for free) and
making DW available to many more
companies
© Copyright 2000 Saeed K. Rahimi
DAMA Presentation, August 2000
Page 16
Microsoft Warehouse Components
 Data transformation services

Extract, transform, load
 OLAP services

Multidimensional server and analysis
 Repository

Information sharing
 English query

English to SQL translation
© Copyright 2000 Saeed K. Rahimi
DAMA Presentation, August 2000
Page 17
Repository Maintenance
 Importing information into the repository has
always been a challenging task


Information needs to be mapped to the model
components
Information capture needs to be automated
 Once in the repository, maintaining versions
of the information is needed

New information load can not destroy the
information already in the repository
© Copyright 2000 Saeed K. Rahimi
DAMA Presentation, August 2000
Page 18
Loading the Repository
Data Transformation
Services
OLAP
Services
Star Schema
Database
OLTP
Database
English Query
Application
Transform
Other
Sources
OLAP
DB Schema
DB Schema
Semantics
Other
Repository
© Copyright 2000 Saeed K. Rahimi
DAMA Presentation, August 2000
Page 19
Loading the Repository
 DTS can save to repository
 OLAP information can be saved to repository
with SQL Server 2000
 OLE DB and ODBC data sources and related
information can be imported into repository
with SQL Server 2000
© Copyright 2000 Saeed K. Rahimi
DAMA Presentation, August 2000
Page 20
Implementation Issues
 DTS doesn’t provide complete source to target
mappings for certain transformations

For example

When a query used as source,
 Interfaces to many third party tools incomplete or
not available

Modeling tools




ERWin
Visio
PowerDesigner
Warehouse tools


Business Objects
Information Advantage
© Copyright 2000 Saeed K. Rahimi
DAMA Presentation, August 2000
Page 21
Repository Features
 Extensible metamodel
 Version management
 Dynamic COM based interface
 Batch XIF file based interface
 Workspace concept
 Some pre-built interfaces to data warehouse
tools
© Copyright 2000 Saeed K. Rahimi
DAMA Presentation, August 2000
Page 22
Keys to Success
 Ensure repository information is current
 Provide access to all users of the warehouse
 Tackle implementation in well defined, small
steps
 Designate someone with the responsibility
and authority to manage the repository
 Maintain long term focus
© Copyright 2000 Saeed K. Rahimi
DAMA Presentation, August 2000
Page 23
Access to All Users
 Show users what they want to see


Provide simple, easy to understand information
Make warehouse information easily available “in
context”
 Use familiar interface and UI concepts


Web based access
Client/server based access
 Provide custom integration to existing tools
and interfaces when necessary
© Copyright 2000 Saeed K. Rahimi
DAMA Presentation, August 2000
Page 24
Modes of Access
 Administrative Access



Management
Meta-model (schema) changes
Meta-data loading and maintenance
 End-user Access



Browsing
Navigation
Impact analysis
© Copyright 2000 Saeed K. Rahimi
DAMA Presentation, August 2000
Page 25
Types of Access
 Local and over the LAN access



Metamodel management
Repository bulk loading
Interface from other tools (loading meta-data)
 Remote and over the WEB access

Browser based




accessible from anywhere on the globe
Navigation oriented
Interface from/to other tools
May be minor editing capabilities
© Copyright 2000 Saeed K. Rahimi
DAMA Presentation, August 2000
Page 26
Access Control
 User Classification



Different Class of Users Need to Access Different
Objects in the Repository
Different User Profiles
Different Read/write Access Control
 Possible User Classes





Business Executive
Casual User
Database Administrator
Data Warehouse Administrator
Repository Administrator
© Copyright 2000 Saeed K. Rahimi
DAMA Presentation, August 2000
Page 27
Questions?
Comments or discussions?
Emails: skrahimi@stthomas.edu
srahimi@dwsoft.com