Data Warehouse ROI and the Evolution of Relational OLAP
John Kraft
Informix
Abstract:
After a brief introduction to the use of OLAP in data warehousing and how
companies are using it to generate a tangible return on investment (a
real-world example from each of 3 industries), I will discuss the evolution
of Relational On-Line Analytical Processing, starting from client-server
query tools and moving to multi-dimensional databases and today's advanced
ROLAP technologies. Included in this discussion will be an overview of some
of the key performance enhancements in RDBMS and OLAP technologies that have
enabled ROLAP to become the hottest segment of the OLAP market. These
include Aggregation, Sampling, Advanced Indexing, Parallelism and Partitioning.
Bio:
Graduate of Stanford University, 1988
Worked at Oracle Corporation through 1991, did large system consulting
through 1992 and then founded Stanford Technology Group, Inc. (STG) in 1993.
STG was a leader in Relational On-line Analytical Processing, or ROLAP.
ROLAP enables organizations to do faster, more flexible analysis, and
therefore to make better more timely decisions. STG was bought in November,
1995 by Informix Corporation. I am currently Director of Business
Development for the Data Warehouse Business Development Unit of Informix.