Solutions for Data Integration & Data Warehousing
Frequently Asked Questions by Category
Q: How does BIMarts help satisfy the requirements of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act?
A: The Sarbanes-Oxley Act requires public firms to ensure that their reporting solution supports real-time response, provides high availability and be fully auditable. BIMarts satisfies all these requirements:
A: The Sarbanes-Oxley Act requires public firms to ensure that their reporting solution supports real-time response, provides high availability and be fully auditable. BIMarts satisfies all these requirements:
- BIMarts is continually synchronized with your ERP applications.
- BIMarts supports high availability. As much as 24/7.
- BIMarts provides a full audit trail of the transactions that took place on your ERP application; including full before and after images of records maintained within your ERP application.
Q: How long does BIMarts take to install?
A: With the solution set from Glenridge, generating data marts and promoting them to an enterprise data warehouse can be completed in a very short time. Some preliminary site preparation and analysis work will be necessary to determine the precise data model that should be generated.
Q: What about other data sources?
A: We can provide skilled technical resources to synchronize data from many sources including:
Q: How soon will users be able to run reports?
A: Expect to have power users accessing your data warehouse in a few weeks. It may take longer for the bulk of your users to get onboard as you will need to work out their access rights and install a means to enforce those access rights. We suggest the use of a reports sub-portal which we can implement for you; or assist your IT staff with the implementation.
A: With the solution set from Glenridge, generating data marts and promoting them to an enterprise data warehouse can be completed in a very short time. Some preliminary site preparation and analysis work will be necessary to determine the precise data model that should be generated.
Q: What about other data sources?
A: We can provide skilled technical resources to synchronize data from many sources including:
| Mainframe | Windows/ UNIX | HP Non Stop | OpenVMS | AS/400 |
| Adabas DB2 IMS/DB VSAM |
Adabas Oracle 9, 10, 11 SQL Server 2000 SQL Server 2005 SQL Server 2008 |
Escribe SQL/MP |
Adabas | DB2/400 |
Q: How soon will users be able to run reports?
A: Expect to have power users accessing your data warehouse in a few weeks. It may take longer for the bulk of your users to get onboard as you will need to work out their access rights and install a means to enforce those access rights. We suggest the use of a reports sub-portal which we can implement for you; or assist your IT staff with the implementation.
Q: What version of Oracle does BIMarts support?
A: The BIMarts data warehouse runs on Oracle version 10g and higher. However, data can be sourced from most any major data source (DB2, DB2/400, SQL Server, etc.), including most versions of Oracle.
Q: What additional tools/products do I need to have to use BIMarts?
A: No additional products are needed to use BIMarts.
Q: What additional hardware will I need for my data warehouse?
A: Glenridge Solutions will help you determine any additional hardware you might need based on data volume in your ERP application database and the number of active users you anticipate having online during peak periods.
A: The BIMarts data warehouse runs on Oracle version 10g and higher. However, data can be sourced from most any major data source (DB2, DB2/400, SQL Server, etc.), including most versions of Oracle.
Q: What additional tools/products do I need to have to use BIMarts?
A: No additional products are needed to use BIMarts.
Q: What additional hardware will I need for my data warehouse?
A: Glenridge Solutions will help you determine any additional hardware you might need based on data volume in your ERP application database and the number of active users you anticipate having online during peak periods.
Q: How is it that BIMarts can report changes to records where the effective date has passed and my production application database cannot?
A: BIMarts detects every change that occurs in your production application database that has an effect on the data in your BIMarts data warehouse. These change records are date-time stamped as to when the change occurred within your production application database. All these change records are migrated to your data warehouse along with the all so important date-time stamp. Few, if any, production applications maintain this level of detailed audit trail.
Q: Will I be able to run my existing SQR and Crystal reports using BIMarts?
A: Yes. You simply point your SQL and Crystal reports to the ODS in BIMarts schema.
A: BIMarts detects every change that occurs in your production application database that has an effect on the data in your BIMarts data warehouse. These change records are date-time stamped as to when the change occurred within your production application database. All these change records are migrated to your data warehouse along with the all so important date-time stamp. Few, if any, production applications maintain this level of detailed audit trail.
Q: Will I be able to run my existing SQR and Crystal reports using BIMarts?
A: Yes. You simply point your SQL and Crystal reports to the ODS in BIMarts schema.
Q: Does BIMarts use aggregates?
A: Aggregates may be added at any time. However, the methods we apply when optimizing your BIMarts data warehouse eliminate most, if not all, of the gains one might achieve via an aggregate. Further, our method of optimizing your BIMarts data warehouse eliminates the overhead and maintenance issues associated with building and maintaining aggregates.
Q: Does BIMarts use FACT and Dimension tables like I have read about in some data warehouse books?
A: Yes, BIMarts provides both integrated data marts and star schemas.
Q: How many users will I be able to support with my data warehouse?
A: BIMarts does not restrict the number of users that can access your data warehouse. We can be more specific once we have explored your current environment and understand the planned usage of your BIMarts data warehouse.
A: Aggregates may be added at any time. However, the methods we apply when optimizing your BIMarts data warehouse eliminate most, if not all, of the gains one might achieve via an aggregate. Further, our method of optimizing your BIMarts data warehouse eliminates the overhead and maintenance issues associated with building and maintaining aggregates.
Q: Does BIMarts use FACT and Dimension tables like I have read about in some data warehouse books?
A: Yes, BIMarts provides both integrated data marts and star schemas.
Q: How many users will I be able to support with my data warehouse?
A: BIMarts does not restrict the number of users that can access your data warehouse. We can be more specific once we have explored your current environment and understand the planned usage of your BIMarts data warehouse.