Coping with Large Dimensional Workflows

I have recently been working on a third tranche of ETL work for a client which is basically a reasonably complex data warehouse. Its been a great project and I’ve loved getting down and dirty with their data although there have been some frustrating elements to the project, which as I have not worked on such a complex linear project before, I did not foresee as being an issue. This blog is a discussion of the main issue which I will attempt to give a working strategy to deal with.

Click here for full blog.

Written by Conrad Rowlands, Lead Developer, Developer Solutions

Man of Distinct(ion)

Its not often that I learn something new about the fundamentals of SQL. Sure they add to the syntax all the time and you learn something  about what you can do with these addition but fundamentals, that’s basic stuff – the kind of stuff you rattle off a thousand times a day without even thinking about it . I’m talking about  stuff I should have known though it seems that I am not alone so I thought I would share this tidbit. This knowledge  is to do with the DISTINCT keyword of all things.

Click here to read full blog.

Written by Conrad Rowlands, Lead Developer, Developer Solutions

Lookup Date Values in DTS package

I recently came to extend some DTS packages that we have implemented for a client to include a LOT of new Date styled dimensions. You know the kind of thing… We have a date table with all of the possible dates over the last 400 years which we all figure should suffice. If I’m still coding beyond this date I’m not entirely sure that DTS will be the framework of choice, Hell its already VERY superceded even as we speak! What I did not appreciate was that date look ups would be problematical in DTS.

Click here for full blog.

Written by Conrad Rowlands, Lead Developer and Team Leader, Developer Solutions