The separation of operational decison making from strategic decision making is an important aspect of Information Systems in all organizations. One of the major approaches to achieving this in large and medium size organizations is to establish a data warehouse seperate from the operational database. A large body of practical knowledge, research activity and software now supports these needs. Knowledge of the area would be important to students in the workplace and the research arena.

2005: New undergraduate unit being introduced for the new BITS degree structure.

FIT2040 Data Warehousing is an elective 2nd level unit in the Caulfied BITS major in Systems Development.

There is no comparable unit in the faculty at undergraduate level.

Students undertaking a major in Systems Development need an advanced understanding of database technology.

At the completion of this unit, students will have an understanding of:

• the potential benefits of data warehousing
• the techniques and tools used to design and implement a data warehouse
• theories and principles of data warehousing for the practice of decision support

At the completion of this unit, students will have developed attitudes which will allow them to appreciate how to interact effectively with managers, consultants and vendors in the development of a data warehouse.

At the completion of this unit, students will have the skills to design simple star-schema based databases.

ASCED Discipline Group classification: 020303 Database management

Systems analysts are increasingly required to provide managers with information that is not readily available from operational information systems. The data warehouse is designed to provide high quality data from a number of sources both inside and outside the organisation and is an example of a large-scale decision system. This unit presents students with a coverage of several important aspects of data warehousing. These include definitions of terminology, the purpose of a data warehouse, data warehouse design, data sourcing, implementing the data warehouse, organisational issues involved with designing and implementing a data warehouse and case studies of data warehousing practice.

Systems analysts are increasingly required to provide managers with information that is not readily available from operational information systems. The data warehouse is designed to provide high quality data from a number of sources both inside and outside the organisation and is an example of a large-scale decision system. This unit presents students with a coverage of several important aspects of data warehousing. These include definitions of terminology, the purpose of a data warehouse, data warehouse design, data sourcing, implementing the data warehouse, organisational issues involved with designing and implementing a data warehouse and case studies of data warehousing practice.

• Kimball, R. and Caserta, J. (2004) The Data Warehouse ETL Toolkit: Practical Techniques for Extracting, Cleaning, Conforming and Delivering Data, John Wiley and Sons, ISBN: 0764567578
• Kimball, R., Reeves, L., Ross, M. and Thornthwaite, W. (1998) The Data Warehouse Lifecycle Toolkit: Expert Methods for Designing and Deploying Data Warehouses, John Wiley and Sons, ISBN: 0471255475
• Kimball, R. (1996) The Data Warehouse Toolkit: Practical Techniques for Building Dimensional Data Warehouses, John Wiley and Sons, ISBN: 0471153370

On campus

2 hour lecture plus 1 hour lab per week

Knowledge and understanding objectives are achieved mainly through lectures and tutorial exercises.

Attitudes and beliefs objectives are achieved mainly through laboratory exercises and assignment work.

Practical skills objectives are achieved mainly through laboratory exercises and assignment work.

Relationships, communication and team work objectives are achieved mainly through laboratory exercises and assignment work.

Assignments: 50% + Exam: 50%

Knowledge and understanding objectives are assessed mainly through the examination.

Attitudes, values and belief objectives are assessed mainly through the examination and assignment work.

Practical skills objectives are assessed mainly through assignment work.

Relationships, communication and team work objectives are assessed mainly through assignment work.

12 hours per week including lectures, laboratory sessions and private study.

High-tech lecture theatre with data display and internet connection, with a PC and facility to plug in a laptop, for two hours per week throughout the semester.

Laboratory equipped with the Standard Operating Environment.

One lecturer per semester. One tutor per laboratory session per semester.

Adequate copies of at least the recommended texts listed above.

FIT

Nil

Nil

Nil

Nil

FIT1004 or CSE2132 or equivalent