2. What is Multidimensional schema?
● Schema is a logical description of the entire database.
● Designed to model data warehouse systems
● It includes the name and description of records of all record types
including all associated data-items and aggregates.
● A database uses relational model, while a data warehouse
uses Star, Snowflake, and Fact Constellation schema.
3. Types of Multidimensional Schemas
● Star Schema
● Snowflake Schema
● Fact Constellation Schema or Galaxy Schema
4. What is a Star Schema?
● The simplest type of Data Warehouse schema
● Structure resembles a star.
● Each dimension in a star schema is represented with only one-dimension
table.
● This dimension table contains the set of attributes.
● There is a fact table at the center. It contains the keys to each of four
dimensions.
6. Advantage of Star Schema
● Easy for Users to Understand
● Optimizes Navigation
● Most Suitable for Query Processing(against an OLTP
system)
7. Disadvantages of Star Schema
● Data integrity is not enforced.
● Not as flexible in terms of analytical needs.
● Star schemas don’t reinforce many-to-many relationships within
business entities – at least not frequently.
● Uses large disk space
8. What is Snowflake Schema?
● Represented by centralized fact tables which are connected to multiple
dimensions tables.
● The principle behind snowflaking is normalization of the dimension tables
by removing low cardinality attributes and forming separate tables.
● It normalizes dimensions to eliminate redundancy
10. Advantages of Snowflake Schema
● Reduces the the problem of data
integrity
● Uses small disk space
● Improvement in query performance
● Easy to understand.
11. Disadvantages of Snowflakes Schema
● Adds complexity to source query joins
● Additional maintenance efforts needed due to the increase number of lookup
tables.
12. What is Galaxy or Fact constellation Schema?
● Combination other two schemas
● Constitutes of multiple fact tables sharing dimension tables.
14. When to choose ?
● while introducing hierarchies in dimension.
● In order to deals with bigger dimension tables.
● helpful for aggregating fact tables.
15. Advantages of Fact ConstellationSchema
● Provides a flexible schema.
○ Improved data retrival
○ Simplified business logic
○ Better understanding
○ Fast aggregation
○ Extensibility
16. Disadvantages of Fact ConstellationSchema
● difficult to maintain
● more complex than star and snowflake schemas
17. RealWorldScenario
■ Consider a database for a retailer that has many stores, with each store selling many
products in many product categories and of various brands.A data warehouse or
data mart for such a retailer would need to provide analysts the ability to run sales
reports grouped by store, date (or month, quarter or year), or product category or
brand.