Application Architecture & Process Design

A database is a collection of related information that is organized in a database management system where the data can be retrieved by organizations to aid them in making strategic business decisions. The information from these databases are organized and collected in ways to help an organization retrieve the needed data with ease. Data warehouse, data mart, three-tier architecture and active service pages (ASP) are data concepts that are used for data organization in a database.

A data warehouse stores all the meaningful information that a business accumulates. The information in a data warehouse must not only make data available to organizations, but accessing the information must also be efficient. Data warehousing is comprised of stored information in a database from an organization's activities. This database was developed to store information that would aid a business in making tactical assessments. A data warehouse does not normally hold current information on individual business activities.

Data Warehouse Overview

Figure 1: Simple schematic for a data warehouse. T...

Example of a 3-tier architecture

Data warehouses were created for the main purpose of improving a business' data storage and reporting. Organizations rely on a data warehouse because there is a greater chance of transactions being completed in a specified time limit. In a data warehouse there are ways of modeling data that would allow querying and reporting of information to be faster. A data warehouse enables an individual that is not technically knowledgeable to write simple queries and reports. Data warehousing allows an organization to bring together vital information in order to make decisions that could affect the future of a business.

While a data warehouse is a collection of information from all departments, a data mart is an extract from the data warehouse. A data mart is smaller, more focused information collected from each department in an organization. This information helps departmental managers make decisions concerning the business conducted within...