Chapter 12
A Business Intelligence (BI) reporting system ________. A) creates meaningful information from disparate data sources B) delivers information to users at the DBA's convenience C) uses statistical procedures to predict future events D) uses operational data
A
Dimensional databases are used to track historical data, and therefore must have a(n) ________. A) time dimension B) customer dimension C) sales dimension D) order dimension
A
Each of the following is an example of a cloud computing platform except ________. A) SQL Server 2014 Express B) Amazon Web Services C) Google Business Solutions D) Windows Azure
A
OLAP stands for ________. A) OnLine Analytical Processing B) OffLine Analytical Processing C) OnLine Analysis Process D) Old, Lazy And Particular
A
RFM analysis analyzes and ranks customers based on ________. A) their purchasing patterns B) their income status C) their residential location D) Both A and B are correct
A
Star schemas have a ________ at the center of the star. A) fact table B) dimension table C) map table D) reduce table
A
The "M" in RFM analysis stands for ________. A) money B) mostly C) modest D) modern
A
To format a PivotTable in Microsoft Excel 2013, we use the ________. A) Design command tab in the PivotTable Tools contextual command tab B) Format command tab in the PivotTable Tools contextual command tab C) Design command tab in the Report Tools contextual command tab D) Format command tab in the Report Tools contextual command tab
A
To use an SQL Server 2014 database in an Microsoft Excel 2013 PivotTable, it is generally useful to ________. A) create a view in SQL Server 2014 to organize the data B) store the needed data in an Excel worksheet C) store the needed data in a Word document D) store the needed data in a Visio diagram
A
We have obtained access to the company's operational data. In one record, we find that a customer's age has been recorded as "337." This is an example of ________. A) dirty data B) inconsistent data C) nonintegrated data D) a "wrong format" problem
A
When distributed databases create copies of the database on different servers, this is known as ________. A) replication B) partitioning C) disbursing D) distributed two-phase locking
A
________ is a DBMS that provides a full set of object-relational features. A) Oracle Database B) Microsoft Access C) Microsoft SQL Server 2014 D) MySQL
A
What is a Microsoft Excel PivotTable?
A PivotTable is the reporting mechanism Excel uses to display OLAP reports. Both measures (a dimensional database "fact") and dimensions are displayed and can be rearranged. Drill-down is also available.
What is a conformed dimension?
A conformed dimension is a dimension table in a data warehouse that is used in more than one star schema. Since the same table is reused, we can be sure that the data is consistent within each star schema.
What is a data warehouse?
A data warehouse is a nonoperational database intended for use by Business Intelligence (BI) applications. A data warehouse is a database system that has data, programs and personnel who specialize in the preparation of data for Business Intelligence processing. Database in data warehouses are frequently denormalized to speed up BI processes. The components of a data warehouse include programs for data extraction/cleaning/preparation, data warehouse DBMSs, data warehouse metadata and data warehouse data. The data warehouse metadata database records the data warehouse data's source, format, assumptions, constraints and other relevant facts.
What is a distributed database?
A distributed database is a database that has been partitioned, replicated, or both. Partitioning means breaking up the database into sections, and then storing those sections on separate computers. Replicating means making copies of the database, and then storing those copies on separate computers.
What is a reporting system?
A reporting system is one of the main categories of a Business Intelligence (BI) system. Reporting systems are used to filter data, sort data, group data and make simple calculations based on the data. These systems summarize the current status of business activities and compare the current status to past or predicted results. They are also used to classify entities such as customers, employees, products, etc. Report delivery is a critical aspect of reporting systems.
What is a slowly changing dimension? Include an example.
A slowly changing dimension is an attribute or set of attributes that can change over time, but typically does not change that often. Address and phone number are examples of slowly changing dimensions.
What are objects, and how are they related to the object-oriented DBMS (OODBMS)?
An object-oriented DBMS is designed to store object data. Objects are the basis of object-oriented programming (OOP). Objects have methods and properties. Methods are computer programs that perform a task, and properties are data items particular to the object. OODBMSs are designed to provide object persistence for OOP objects, which means providing the means for storing object property values.
Compare the characteristics of an operational database and a dimensional database
An operational database is used for structured transaction data processing, while a dimensional database is used for unstructured analytical data processing. An operational database uses current data, while a dimensional database uses both current and historical data. With an operational database, data are inserted, modified and deleted by users, while in a dimensional database data are loaded and updated systemically by the data warehouse administrators.
A data mart differs from a data warehouse in that ________. A) it has a larger database B) it deals with a particular component or functional area of the business C) data mart users must have more data management expertise than data warehouse employees D) it is updated more frequently by the data mart users
B
Data warehouses use a(n) ________. A) operational database B) dimensional database C) structured storage D) object-relational data model
B
In OLAP, the characteristic of a measure is called a ________. A) level B) dimension C) slice D) member
B
One Business Intelligence (BI) reporting system that uses extensions to SQL is ________. A) cluster analysis B) OLAP C) regression analysis D) RFM analysis
B
One of the goals of an object-relational database is to allow ________ to persist in the database. A) data structures B) objects C) methods D) Java variables
B
Slowly changing dimensions are handled by a(n) ________. A) operational database B) dimensional database C) structured storage D) object-relational data model
B
Snowflake schemas have normalized ________. A) fact tables B) dimension tables C) map tables D) reduce tables
B
The "R" in RFM analysis stands for ________. A) rank B) recent C) relationship D) readiness
B
The program that manages the various virtual machines (which can of course be running their own DBMS installation) running on a physical machine is called a ________. A) supervisor B) hypervisor C) virtual operating system D) virtual DBMS
B
Virtualization is an attempt to do a better job of using which hardware resources in a computer? A) Memory and monitors B) CPU and memory C) Operating system D) Database tables
B
We have done an RFM analysis on our customer data. John Smith has a score of {5 1 1}. This means that John ________. A) has ordered recently, and orders a lot when he orders B) hasn't ordered recently, but orders a lot when he orders C) has ordered recently, but doesn't order a lot when he orders D) hasn't ordered recently, and doesn't order a lot when he orders
B
We have obtained access to the company's operational data. We examine 50 records for customers with phone numbers that should use the current area code of 345. Of these 50 records, we find 10 that still use an older area code of 567. This is an example of ________. A) dirty data B) inconsistent data C) nonintegrated data D) a "too much data" problem
B
When distributed databases break the database into sections and store the sections on different servers, this is known as ________. A) replication B) partitioning C) disbursing D) distributed two-phase locking
B
Which of the following is not a reason that operational data are difficult to read? A) Dirty data B) Current data C) Nonintegrated data D) Missing values
B
What are Business Intelligence (BI) systems?
Business Intelligence (BI) systems are information systems used by managers and other business professionals to analyze past and current activities and to predict future events. BI systems do not support the recording and processing of operational data—this is left to transaction processing systems. Instead, BI systems are management support systems that produce information for assessment, analysis, planning and control. There are two main categories of BI systems: reporting systems and data mining applications.
A data warehouse database differs from an operational database because ________. A) data warehouse data are not stored in tables B) data warehouse databases do not have metadata C) data warehouse data are often denormalized D) Both B and C are correct
C
An OLAP cube is called that because some products show OLAP displays on ________ axes. A) one B) two C) three D) four
C
Computing and storage services offered by various companies over the internet, with either storage or processing performed remotely, are collectively known as ________. A) NoSQL databases B) remote databases C) cloud computing D) distributed computing
C
Hadoop is a(n) ________. A) RDMBS B) OODBMS C) distributed file system (DFS) D) Web server
C
In OLAP, the data item of interest is called a ________. A) level B) dimension C) measure D) member
C
RFM scores commonly range from ________, with ________ being the "high" or "most desirable" (from the vendor's point of view) score. A) 0 to 5; 0 B) 0 to 5; 5 C) 1 to 5; 1 D) 1 to 5, 5
C
The structured storage equivalent of an RDBMS table is a ________. A) column B) super column C) column family D) map
C
To arrange the PivotTable columns and rows in Microsoft Excel 2013, we use the ________. A) PivotTable Control B) PivotTable dialog box C) PivotTable Field List D) Pivot Table Wizard
C
Which of the following is not a component of a data warehouse? A) Data extract, transform, and load (ETL) preparation programs B) Data warehouse data C) Operational database updates D) Data warehouse metadata
C
Business Intelligence (BI) reporting systems can do which of the following operations? A) Filter data B) Group data C) Modify data D) Both A and B are correct
D
Business Intelligence (BI) systems do which of the following? A) Analyze current and past activities B) Predict future events C) Record and process transactions D) Both A and B are correct
D
Business Intelligence (BI) systems fall into which of the following categories? A) Processing B) Reporting C) Data mining D) Both B and C are correct
D
Business Intelligence (BI) systems obtain their data by all of the following means except ________. A) read and process data from an operational database B) process extracts from operational databases C) process data purchased from data vendors D) read and process data entered by BI system users
D
DBMSs associated with the NoSQL movement are often known as ________. A) RDBMSs B) OODBMSs C) SSDBMSs D) structured storage
D
Data mining applications are used to accomplish all of the following tasks except ________. A) perform what-if analysis B) make predications C) facilitate decision making D) update the database
D
In the MapReduce process, the first step is the ________ step. A) column B) reduce C) column family D) map
D
The term drill down means the user wants to ________. A) summarize data B) get older data C) sort data D) get more details
D
To create an OLAP report for an SQL Server 2014 database, we can build a PivotTable in ________. A) Microsoft Access 2013 B) Microsoft Word 2013 C) Microsoft Visio 2013 D) Microsoft Excel 2013
D
We have obtained access to the company's operational data. We have been asked to produce a report with an item by item analysis of sales, but the only sales figure available is the total sale value for each order. This is an example of ________. A) dirty data B) inconsistent data C) nonintegrated data D) a "wrong format" problem
D
Which of the following is (are) true about data mining applications? A) They use sophisticated mathematical techniques. B) They use sophisticated statistical techniques. C) Their report delivery is more important than report delivery for reporting systems. D) Both A and B are correct
D
Why is operational data sometimes unusable for Business Intelligence (BI) use? Include at least two examples.
Data in operational databases can suffer from a number of problems. These include: (1) Dirty data—data that has problems with it, for example an age of "323;" (2) Missing values—data values that are unknown, for example a person's age; (3) Inconsistent data—old data values that needed to be updated may not have been—for example a ZIP code in an area that was split into two new ZIP codes; (4) Data not integrated—when data from two or more data sets is used, the data may be from two or more different DBMSs; (5) Data in the wrong format—data values may have been recorded at an inappropriate value for the needed analysis—for example, distance may have been recorded in miles when we need meters; (6) Too much data—it is possible to simply have very large data sets in terms of records or fields.
A star schema resembles a star, with a dimension table at the center and fact tables radiating out from the center.
FALSE
Although Microsoft Excel 2013 will create a PivotTable report using SQL Server 2014 data, it does not have formatting tools that can be used with the report.
FALSE
An OLAP cube is limited to three axes.
FALSE
Business Intelligence (BI) reporting systems summarize the current status of business activities and compare that status with past events, but not with predicted future activities.
FALSE
Business Intelligence (BI) systems support operational activities.
FALSE
In a common form of RFM analysis, customers with an R score of 5 are in the 20% of customers who have the most recent orders.
FALSE
In the MapReduce process, the Reduce step is followed by the Map step.
FALSE
Microsoft Excel 2013 cannot import SQL Server 2014 data directly into a PivotTable report, but must first place the data into a worksheet.
FALSE
Most data mining techniques are simple and easy to use.
FALSE
Operational databases contain a fact table.
FALSE
Operational databases store historical data.
FALSE
RFM analysis is a way of analyzing and ranking customers based on online survey data.
FALSE
Report delivery is more important for data mining than it is for reporting systems.
FALSE
Structured storage column families are indistinguishable from relational database tables.
FALSE
To create an OLAP report for an SQL Server 2014 database, use the PivotTable tool in SQL Server 2014.
FALSE
A data mart is a collection of data that addresses a particular component of a functional area of a business.
TRUE
A data warehouse is a database system that has data, programs, and personnel specialized in Business Intelligence (BI) processing.
TRUE
Amazon.com's Dynamo was an early example of structured storage.
TRUE
Big Data is the name given to the enormous datasets generated by Web 2.0 applications.
TRUE
Business Intelligence (BI) reporting systems are intended to create meaningful information from disparate data sources and to deliver that information to the proper users on a timely basis.
TRUE
Business Intelligence (BI) reporting systems are used to filter data, sort data, group data, and make simple calculations based on the data.
TRUE
Business Intelligence (BI) reporting systems can analyze data using standard SQL.
TRUE
Business Intelligence (BI) systems are information systems that help users analyze and use data.
TRUE
Business Intelligence (BI) systems obtain data in three different ways.
TRUE
Data mining is the application of mathematical and statistical techniques to find patterns and relationships that can be used to classify and predict future outcomes.
TRUE
Data mining uses sophisticated statistical and mathematical techniques to perform what-if analyses, to make predictions, and to facilitate decision making.
TRUE
Data warehouse data are frequently denormalized.
TRUE
Data warehouses also store the data warehouse metadata.
TRUE
Data warehouses are populated with data prepared by data extraction, transformation, and load (ETL) programs.
TRUE
Data warehouses often include data purchased from outside vendors.
TRUE
Dimensional databases are used for analytical data processing.
TRUE
Dimensional databases use the star schema.
TRUE
Facebook uses the Apache Software Foundation's Cassandra NoSQL database.
TRUE
Google's Bigtable was an early example of structured storage.
TRUE
In RFM analysis, F stands for "how frequently."
TRUE
In RFM analysis, M stands for "how much money."
TRUE
In RFM analysis, R stands for "how recently."
TRUE
In a common form of RFM analysis, a score of 1 is "high" or "good" while a score of 5 is "low" or "bad."
TRUE
In a common form of RFM analysis, an RFM score of {5 1 1} means that the customer orders frequently and orders items of high monetary value but has not ordered anything for some time.
TRUE
In a common form of RFM analysis, customers are sorted into five groups and given an associated score depending on their group.
TRUE
In a snowflake table, each dimension table is normalized.
TRUE
Metadata about the data's source, format, assumptions, and constraints are kept in a data warehouse metadata database.
TRUE
Microsoft Excel 2013 allows us to connect directly to an SQL Server 2014 database when building a PivotTable.
TRUE
Most of NoSQL nonrelational database methodologies are known as structured storage.
TRUE
NoSQL really stands of "Not only SQL."
TRUE
OLAP provides the ability to sum, count, average, and perform other simple arithmetic operations on groups of data.
TRUE
Problematic data are called dirty data.
TRUE
The movement that uses different database methods than the relational model and/or SQL is called the NoSQL movement.
TRUE
The term drill down refers to the capability of seeing the data in smaller and smaller units.
TRUE
When creating an OLAP report based on SQL Server 2014 data, it is often a good idea to create a view to organize the data needed for the OLAP report.
TRUE
What is a star schema?
The star schema describes the arrangement of the tables in a dimensional database. A fact table is the center of the star, while dimension tables are connected to the fact table and can be illustrated as the points of the star.
