General Interest Articles on Data Warehousing

New! Scalable Computer Architectures for Data Warehousing
This important white paper explains how parallel SQL works and which computer architectures are best for running data warehousing applications built on parallel-enabled relational database software. The high-end system architectures offered by Sun Microsystems, NCR/Teradata, IBM, and HP are all reviewed in detail. This white paper is based on material originally written by Mark Sweiger in Chapter 3 of the book Building, Using and Managing the Data Warehouse.

Read Mark Sweiger's editorial on the future of clickstream data warehousing, "Is Clickstream Data Warehousing Dead?", in the April 2002 issue of DM Review Magazine.

Why Businesses Need Clickstream Data Warehouses
This short article explains the strong business motivation for implementing a clickstream data warehouse.

The following series of articles on clickstream data warehousing were written by Mark Sweiger, Clickstream Consulting's President and Founder. Some of these articles were originally published in Enterprise Systems Journal Magazine.

Clickstream Data Warehouses, The Key To e-Business Success
Why a clickstream data warehouse is the essential information technology for your e-business.

The Difference Between CRM, eCRM, and eRM
A overview of the evolution of brick-mortar Customer Relationship Management (CRM) systems into e-business electronic Relationship Management (ERM) systems.

How to Optimize Your Site for Search Engines
Tips on how to use search engines to promote your web site.

Banner Ads: Easy Money or Pandora’s Box
Understanding the unusual advertising environment of the Web.

The Clickstream Data Warehouse Meta-Schema
This article defines a general purpose meta-schema for clickstream data warehouses, including the User Activity fact table and 10 associated dimension tables.

How to Use Cookies As a User Identification Mechanism
This article describes the fields in a cookie file and shows how they are employed to track site user behavior.

Web Server Log Files: The Ultimate Clickstream Data Source
This article explains the format and content of web server log file records, and how to use it in a clickstream data warehouse.

Clickstream Data Warehouse Extract, Transformation and Load
This article reviews the tricky process of clickstream data warehouse extract, transformation and load.

Integrating Clickstream Data into Your Existing Data Warehouse
This article explains how to integrate clickstream data from your enterprise’s web site into your existing data warehouse. It includes two examples from retail e-commerce and the utility industry.


Articles on data warehousing by Mark Madsen, Principal, Clickstream Consulting. Portions of some of these articles orginally appeared in Database Programming and Design Magazine, now Intelligent Enterprise Magazine:

Selecting an ETL Product for a Clickstream Data Warehouse
This article, which also appears under the "Referenced Material Section", gives a great synopis of all the criteria one should use when selecting an ETL product for clickstream data warehouses (and non-clickstream data warehouses).

Implementing Aggregates for a Dimensional Data Warehouse
This comprehensive article explains how to create appropriate aggregates for a star-schema data warehouse.

Data Warehouse Disk Storage Issues: Big Data Warehouse--Big Decisions
This in-depth article reviews the important issues surrounding the enormous disk farms and storage arrays associated with large data warehouses.