DV Standards

There are a lot of comments, and questions out there about the Data Vault model, particularly from those who claim to know it and understand it.  Yet some of them have a) not engaged me, nor b) gone to take the certification class.   Reasons for the DV model are buried in the methodology – a lot of benefits come from using both the data modeling techniques and the methodology.  That’s for another post.  In this post I will try to focus JUST on the physical table structures, similarities and differences, so that the physical nature of the structures can be “compared” (so to speak). continue

I received an email with many many questions at the conceptual level of integration.  It is (to say the least) a very interesting mail, with many points that I discuss in this entry.  In this entry, I’ve posted the original statements made by the person sending me the email, along with my formal responses.  I find it a very interesting discussion, and hope that you will add your comments to the end of this post.

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A short introduction to the Data Vault Methodology

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I’ve just worked with Ronald to provide a basic definition agreement on what a Raw Data Vault truly means.  It’s really cool to begin working with Ronald on defining standards for the industry.   Here’s a link to his post, I think you should check out his excellent blog…  http://prudenza.typepad.com/dwh/2011/02/dan-linstedt-ronald-damhof-lets-be-clear-about-the-raw-data-vault.html

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First, let me apologize for my previous rant – I’m sorry.  On the other hand, I needed to make some statements because I’ve begun to hear things directly from customers that “not all is well in the Data Vault world…”  To everyone in the community: there are some questions about how to work with me on the standards, the training, and the certification – so I wish to offer some clarification on these matters.  The simple answer is: YES, I will work with you and your groups.  Please, read on…

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I wish to address a matter of importance to me, and while this is not a particularly pleasant topic, I hope that you will respond – by replying to this blog entry and letting me know your true feelings on the subject. This entry is about the Standards, Certification, and the Methodology.  WARNING: part of this is a rant, and it may in fact offend you.  Please read with a grain of salt, and put yourself in my shoes – try to think of this from my perspective, then, please, respond to the post by adding your comments. continue

I’ve had a ton of experience in this area, especially with the Data Vault methodology.  The methodology is comprised of best practices from many different facets.  My intent with this entry is to introduce you to some of the foundational cornerstones that I feel are important to BI project success.

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Even after my last post about standards, rules, procedures there are still a number of people in the industry who believe in “modifying the structure” of the Data Vault, breaking the rules and standards, and thinking that it’s OK to do this and still call it a Data Vault.  In this post, I will cover why the fundamentals standards of the Data Vault are important, and IF you believe that you have a modification that will make the Data Vault better, then I will explain the process that I expect you to go through (publicly) in order to demonstrate to me that it is worth taking a look at. continue

Recently I received a contact inquiry from an interested individual.  In this contact there are many different questions, one of which is specifically about the architecture or design side of the house – as in: are there two design patterns that are followed or only one, and if there are two – which one is correct?  In this entry I will address the nature of business keys, the singular design pattern of the Data Vault and try to correct what thought processes you may or may not have around constructing the model from the top.

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I’m always on the lookout for ways to improve the understandability and readability of the Data Vault, especially when it comes to solving business user problems or issues.  As you know, the Data Vault model relies on the best possible business keys being chosen for Hubs.  Knowing your business data, understanding the business processes, and linking the two to the data warehouse, all happens through business keys.  The more consistent the business keys are (across lines of business and through the business processes), the better the analytics will be, and the better the Data Vault model will be.  In this entry I will be diving in a little bit to the technical aspects of unique identification.  I will discuss MD5, hashing in general, uniqueness, and sequence numbers. continue

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