Microsoft SQL Server 2012 – Implementing a Data Warehouse: Design and Deployment

Overview/Description
This course discusses what a data warehouse database is and how it is used to create reports and aggregate data, the types of schemas and tables that are created within it. This course also covers how to create dimension and fact tables, and how to improve performance of a data warehouse database using indexes, partitions, data compression, and columnstore indexes. This course is one of a series in the SkillSoft learning path that covers the objectives for the Microsoft SQL Server 2012 exam 70-463:Implementing a Data Warehouse with Microsoft SQL Server 2012. This exam is one of the requirements for the MCSA: SQL Server 2012, MCSE: Data Platform, and MCSE: Business Intelligence certification paths.

Target Audience
Data Warehouse Developers and Database Administrators who create and manage business intelligence solution as part of their daily tasks, which include implementing data warehouse databases, extracting transforming, and extracting data as part of an ETL solution, and data cleansing.

Prerequisites
none

Expected Duration (hours)
2.5

Lesson Objectives

Microsoft SQL Server 2012 – Implementing a Data Warehouse: Design and Deployment

describe the characteristics of data warehouses

describe the features of star and snowflake schemas

recognize the purpose of having a surrogate key in dimension tables

describe the considerations for designing fact tables for a data warehouse database

recognize how to create dimension tables in a given scenario

recognize how to create fact tables in a data warehouse database in a given scenario

recognize how indexes on fact and dimension tables can improve performance for a data warehouse database

describe the best practices for creating columnstore indexes

create dimension and fact tables, implement partitions on the fact table, and enable data compression in a given scenario