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CST 363 - Week 4

This week involved a lot of work finishing up our group project, completing the exam, and brushing up on our SQL skills before the final exam.

 I had to learn much about OLAP queries, the type of user that would require them, and how to implement them into our existing project database this week. An OLAP approach to database queries is directly related to business intelligence and other types of metrics-based intelligence, so it was important to understand OLAP principles in order to incorporate them into our project. 

 Additionally, I also learned about how to effectively refactor/redesign a database using a star schema, and when it is most effective. Our artists and records database is a perfect example of an application that can utilize a star schema well because it is an internal application that benefits from simplified queries (who was the best selling artist of the year?) and fast aggregations. Data integrity is an issue, but it is not quite as serious as if the app was used by external customers. 

 It was a tough and long week with a lot of work, and I still feel like I am a novice at SQL, but I am looking forward to the next few weeks of the class and hopefully finishing it on a high note.  

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