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Ben Sullins

The star schema is at the heart of a good business intelligence system. This course will teach you the foundations you need to build a star schema and deliver powerful business intelligence to your users.

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The star schema is at the heart of a good business intelligence system. This course will teach you the foundations you need to build a star schema and deliver powerful business intelligence to your users.

At the core of business intelligence is a thorough knowledge of star schema design and architecture. In Star Schema Foundations, you will learn how to model a star schema after a business process and convert your transactional database into an analytics powerhouse. You will learn dimensional modeling, the Kimball Method, dimension table design, and finally fact table design. When you're finished with this course, you will have a foundational knowledge of star schema design and architecture that will help you as you move forward towards developing business intelligence solutions.

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What's inside

Syllabus

Course Overview
Getting Started
Understanding the Business Intelligence Ecosystem
Understanding Star Schema Design
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Modeling Your Data into a Star Schema
Choosing a Business Process
Defining the Grain
Identifying Facts
Identifying Dimensions
Querying a Star Schema

Good to know

Know what's good
, what to watch for
, and possible dealbreakers
Taught by Ben Sullins, a respected name in the business intelligence industry
Explores dimensional modeling, a foundational concept in data warehousing
Introduces learners to the Kimball Method, widely used for star schema design
Strengthens foundational knowledge of data modeling for business intelligence applications
Offers a detailed understanding of star schema architecture, essential for data analysts

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Activities

Be better prepared before your course. Deepen your understanding during and after it. Supplement your coursework and achieve mastery of the topics covered in Star Schema Foundations with these activities:
Seek Mentorship from Senior Data Engineers
Enhance your learning by seeking mentorship from experienced data engineers who specialize in star schema design.
Show steps
  • Identify potential mentors
  • Reach out and request guidance
Course Material Compilation
Enhance your learning by organizing course materials, including notes, assignments, and quizzes, for easy reference.
Show steps
  • Gather course materials
  • Create a structured folder system
SQL Refresher
Brush up on your SQL skills to ensure a solid foundation for understanding star schema design and architecture.
Browse courses on SQL
Show steps
  • Review SQL syntax and commands
  • Practice writing SQL queries
  • Complete online SQL tutorials or exercises
Five other activities
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Show all eight activities
The Data Warehouse Toolkit: The Definitive Guide to Dimensional Modeling
Gain a deeper understanding of dimensional modeling, a foundational concept for star schema design.
Show steps
  • Read chapters 1-3 to grasp the basics of dimensional modeling
  • Review the case studies to see real-world applications
Star Schema Design Tutorials
Supplement your understanding by following guided tutorials that demonstrate star schema design principles.
Show steps
  • Explore online tutorials on star schema design
  • Follow along with step-by-step instructions
Dimensional Modeling Exercises
Reinforce your understanding of dimensional modeling through repetitive exercises and practice.
Browse courses on Dimensional Modeling
Show steps
  • Solve dimensional modeling problems
  • Participate in online forums to discuss solutions
Star Schema Design Project
Apply your understanding by designing a star schema for a given business scenario.
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  • Identify the business requirements
  • Model the data using dimensional modeling techniques
  • Create a physical star schema in a database
Mentoring Junior Data Analysts
Deepen your understanding by mentoring junior data analysts on star schema design concepts.
Show steps
  • Identify opportunities to mentor
  • Share your knowledge and provide guidance

Career center

Learners who complete Star Schema Foundations will develop knowledge and skills that may be useful to these careers:
Business Analyst
Business Analysts describe the needs of a business to IT professionals and help IT staff understand the business's perspective to technological implementations. Star schema design is a critical component of business intelligence systems. This course will give you the foundation in this schema design to start or advance your career as a Business Analyst.
Data Analyst
Data Analysts gather, clean, and analyze data to translate into useful insights. They use statistical software and programming languages to examine raw data and extract meaningful conclusions. Having a thorough understanding of star schema design and architecture will help you build a foundation for a successful career as a Data Analyst.
Database Administrator (DBA)
Database Administrators (DBAs) are responsible for the installation, configuration, maintenance, performance, and backup of databases. Star schemas are the most widely used database design for data warehousing. Taking this course will expand your knowledge on star schemas to be successful in your role as a DBA.
Data Architect
Data Architects design, build, and maintain the architecture of data systems. They ensure that data is stored, managed, and used in a way that meets the needs of the business. A strong foundation in star schema design is a must-have skill for a Data Architect. This course will help you toward that foundational knowledge.
Data Engineer
Data Engineers design, build, and maintain data pipelines that collect, transform, and load data into data warehouses and data lakes. They work closely with data architects to ensure that the data is structured and organized in a way that meets the needs of the business. This course will introduce you to star schema design and architecture, which is a foundational skill for Data Engineers.
Business Intelligence Analyst
Business Intelligence Analysts use data analysis to help businesses make informed decisions. They identify trends, patterns, and insights in data to provide actionable recommendations to stakeholders. This course will teach you about star schema design and architecture, which will be a valuable tool for success as a Business Intelligence Analyst.
Statistician
Statisticians collect, analyze, interpret, and present data to help businesses and organizations make informed decisions. They use statistical methods to draw meaningful conclusions from data to inform business strategy. Star schema design is a foundational skill for statisticians, and taking this course will help you build a strong foundation in this area.
Marketing Analyst
Marketing Analysts collect, analyze, and interpret data to help businesses understand their customers and make informed marketing decisions. They use data to identify trends, patterns, and insights to develop and implement effective marketing campaigns. Building a foundation in star schema design may be useful to those in and looking to get into Marketing Analyst roles.
Information Technology (IT) Manager
IT Managers plan, implement, and manage the technology systems and infrastructure of an organization. They work closely with other departments to ensure that technology is aligned with the business's needs. Building a foundation in star schema design may be useful to those in and looking to get into IT Manager roles.
Operations Research Analyst
Operations Research Analysts use mathematical and analytical techniques to solve complex business problems. They use data to identify and develop solutions to improve efficiency, productivity, and profitability. Understanding star schema design may be useful as an Operations Research Analyst.
Software Developer
Software Developers design, develop, and maintain software applications. They work closely with other members of the development team to ensure that software meets the needs of the business. A foundational understanding of star schema design may be useful as a Software Developer.
Data Scientist
Data Scientists use scientific methods to extract knowledge and insights from data. They use a variety of techniques, including machine learning and artificial intelligence, to build predictive models and solve business problems. Knowing star schema design may be helpful for Data Scientists.
Project Manager
Project Managers plan, execute, and manage projects to achieve specific goals and objectives. They work closely with stakeholders to ensure that projects are completed on time, within budget, and to the required quality. Building a foundation in star schema design may be useful for Project Managers.
Financial Analyst
Financial Analysts use financial data to make informed investment decisions. They analyze financial statements, market trends, and economic data to identify investment opportunities. Knowing star schema design may be helpful for Financial Analysts.
Actuary
Actuaries use mathematical and statistical techniques to assess risk and uncertainty. They work with insurance companies, pension funds, and other financial institutions to develop and manage risk management strategies. Having a foundational knowledge of star schema design may be useful for Actuaries.

Reading list

We've selected nine books that we think will supplement your learning. Use these to develop background knowledge, enrich your coursework, and gain a deeper understanding of the topics covered in Star Schema Foundations.
Is an industry standard on dimensional modeling, the foundational theory behind star schema design. It provides a thorough grounding in star schema modeling principles and best practices.
Introduces the Data Vault 2.0 methodology, an alternative to dimensional modeling for data warehousing. It covers the principles, best practices, and tools for building a scalable and agile data warehouse.
Compilation of Ralph Kimball's writings on data warehousing, including articles, presentations, and white papers. It provides a valuable resource for anyone interested in gaining a deeper understanding of Kimball's philosophy and approach to data warehousing.
Provides a comprehensive guide to the data warehousing lifecycle, from planning and design to implementation and maintenance. It covers the tools and techniques needed to build and manage a successful data warehouse.
Provides a broad overview of data warehousing concepts, technologies, and applications. It covers the entire data warehousing lifecycle, from data extraction and transformation to data analysis and reporting.
Provides a comprehensive guide to ETL (extract, transform, load) processes in data warehousing. It covers the tools and techniques for extracting data from various sources, cleaning and transforming the data, and loading it into a data warehouse.
Provides a comprehensive overview of data warehousing architecture and implementation. It covers the different types of data warehouses, the tools and technologies used to build them, and the best practices for managing and maintaining them.
Provides a comprehensive overview of data integration best practices and techniques. It covers the challenges and pitfalls of data integration, and offers practical advice on how to overcome them.
Provides a practical guide to analyzing big data using tools and techniques. It covers the entire big data analytics lifecycle, from data collection and preparation to data analysis and visualization.

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