Database Design for Business Intelligence Reporting
A relational database for BI reporting must efficiently store and manage data from various sources, generate reports based on user-defined criteria, and present the information in interactive dashboards. The database should support functionalities such as data extraction, transformation, and loading (ETL), report generation, user management, and dashboard creation.
1. Identifying Entities and Attributes:
- Entities represent the main objects or concepts in the database, such as customers, products, and sales transactions.
- Attributes are the characteristics or properties of entities, such as customer name, product price, and sales date.
2. Creating Tables:
- Each entity is represented by a table in the database, with each attribute corresponding to a column in the table.
- For example, a “Sales” table might have columns for sales ID, product ID, customer ID, sales date, and sales amount.
3. Establishing Relationships:
- Relationships between entities are established using keys, such as primary keys and foreign keys.
- For example, a “Sales” table might have a foreign key that references the “Products” table to establish a relationship between sales transactions and products.
4. Data Integrity:
- Use constraints such as primary keys, foreign keys, and unique constraints to maintain data integrity.
- Primary keys uniquely identify each record in a table, while foreign keys establish relationships between tables.
- Unique constraints ensure that certain columns contain unique values.
How to Design a Database for Business Intelligence Reporting
Business Intelligence (BI) reporting involves collecting, storing, and analyzing data to provide insights for decision-making. A well-designed relational database is essential for storing and managing data effectively.
This article will explore the key components involved in designing a database for BI reporting, including the entity’s Data Source, Report, User, and Dashboard.
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