Question

In 100 words or more, distinguish between a data warehouse and a database. Also discuss some of the advantages of data marts over data warehouses?

Answer 1

Database is nothing but the collection of information in an organized form which can be accessed, managed and updated easily. The advantages of database is that it reduce data redundancy, increase consistency, improved data security,

Data warehousing is the process by which data is collected from different sources and stored in database. The primary goal or data warehousing is to provide business with useful information with the help of data mining.

Data warehousing includes:-

• Retrieving data from different sources
• Analyzing data that are obtained
• Extracting the data that would be useful or removing the unnecessary data
• Loading the extracted data in the database or central computer in organization
• Transforming data
• Managing the stored data appropriately

Data mart is nothing but the part of data warehouse that is aligned to specific team or function or business line. It meet the demand of specific group of users within the organization as it holds only one subject area. Example - Human resource.

Data mart is the simplified form of data warehouse that deals only in single function like marketing or sales or finance, etc. So, it is generally created and managed by single department of the organization and the data is generated only from few sources because it focus only on one subject. all data mart together form data warehouse.

The primary function of data mart is to provide information to a specific business area that can be used and analyzed easily by the end users.

The advantages of data mart include the following: -

• It helps in segregating the data without making changes to the other one which improves data quality and makes the information secure.
• The information that is stored on the database can be obtained and interpreted easily.
• It simplifies the queries and helps in providing the response faster.
• It caters to the needs of end user and can be created and maintained easily.

The performance of the system always based on how the system is developed, its infrastructure, processes, users, etc. So, based on these factors the performance of data mart is better than that of data warehouse because it is less complex and provide specific information.