Business Intelligence Tutorial
The table that you created in the previous section,
LOOKUP_MARKET, is one of the dimension tables in the example in Tutorial business problem. This section covers the steps for building the rest
of the dimension tables and the fact table in the star schema.
This section is optional, but if you do not complete the steps in this
section, you will not be able to do the following lessons:
If you want to skip this section, go to Lesson 9, Testing warehouse steps.
When you define each table, you must define a new process for the
table. Instead of defining your own step for the process, however, you
will copy the step that is defined in the sample. The definition of the
step is in the Data Warehouse Center that you are using. When you copy
the step, the Data Warehouse Center copies the sources that the step uses and
generates a target table.
To define the Product dimension table:
- Define a new process by following the steps in Defining a process. Name the process Build Tutorial Product
Dimension.
- Under the Subject Areas folder in the Data Warehouse Center
window, expand the TBC Sample tree until you see the Build
Sample Product Dimension process.
- Right-click the Build Sample Product Dimension process.
- Click Open.
The Process Model window opens.
- Right-click the Select Product step.
- Click Copy.
The Copy Step window opens.
- In the Name field, type the name for the copy of the
step:
Tutorial Select Product
- In the New process field, select the name of the process to
which you want to copy the step:
Build Tutorial Product Dimension
- Verify that the Copy Target Table check box is selected.
- In the Warehouse target field, select the Tutorial
Targets warehouse target from the list. The warehouse target will
be the same for the fact table and each dimension table you define in this
tutorial.

- Click OK.
The step and its sources are copied to the Build Tutorial Product Dimension
process. The Data Warehouse Center generates the corresponding target
table.
- Close the Process Model window.
- Open the Build Tutorial Product Dimension process by following the steps
in Opening the process. If it is already open, close it, then open it
again.
- Verify that the process includes the following objects:
- The PRODUCT source tables
- The Tutorial Select Product step
- The "SelectProd_T" target table
- Rename the "SelectProd_T" target table to
LOOKUP_PRODUCT.
To rename the target table:
- In the Process Model window, right-click on the "SelectProd_T" target
table.
- Click Properties.
The table Properties window opens.
- In the Table name field, type:
LOOKUP_PRODUCT
- Verify that the Part of an OLAP schema check box and
Dimension table radio button are selected.
- Click OK to save your changes and close the table Properties
window.
Repeat this procedure for the Time and Scenario dimension tables
substituting the values in the following table where appropriate.
Dimension
| Tutorial Process
| Sample Process
| Sample Step to copy
| New Tutorial Step Name
| Source tables
| Target Table
| New Target Table Name
|
Time
| Build Tutorial Time Dimension
| Build Sample Time Dimension
| Select Time
| Tutorial Select Time
| TIME
|
"SelectTime
_T"
|
LOOKUP_
TIME
|
Scenario
| Build Tutorial Scenario Dimension
| Build Sample Scenario Dimension
| Select Scenario
| Tutorial Select Scenario
| SCENARIO
|
"SelectScen
_T"
|
LOOKUP_
SCENARIO
|
In the previous section, you defined the dimension tables in the star
schema. In this section, you will define the fact table in the star
schema.
To define the fact table:
- Define a new process by following the steps in Defining a process. Name the process Build Tutorial Fact
Table.
- Under the Subject Areas folder in the Data Warehouse Center
window, expand the TBC Sample tree until you see the Build
Sample Fact Table process.
- Right-click the Build Sample Fact Table process.
- Click Open.
The Process Model window opens.
- Right-click the Fact Table Join step.
- Click Copy.
The Copy Step window opens.
- In the Name field, type the name for the copy of the
step:
Tutorial Fact Table Join
- In the New process field, select the name of the process to
which you want to copy the step:
Build Tutorial Fact Table
- Verify that the Copy Target Table check box is selected.
- In the Warehouse target field, select the Tutorial
Targets warehouse target from the list.
- Click OK.
The step and its sources are copied to the Build Tutorial Fact Table
process. The Data Warehouse Center generates the corresponding target
table.
- Close the Process Model window.
- Open the Build Tutorial Fact Table process by following the steps in Opening the process. If it is already open, close it, then open it
again.
- Verify that the process includes the following objects:
- The SALES, INVENTORY, and PRODUCTION_COSTS source tables
- The Tutorial Fact Table Join step
- The "FactTable_T" target table
- Rename the "FactTable_T" target table to FACT_TABLE.
To rename the target table:
- In the Process Model window, right-click on the "FactTable_T" target
table.
- Click Properties.
The table Properties window opens.
- In the Table name field, type:
FACT_TABLE
- Verify that Part of an OLAP schema check box and the Fact
table radio button are selected.
- Click OK to save your changes and close the table Properties
window.
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