From Tables and Spreadsheets to Data Cubes
A data warehouse is based on a multidimensional data model which views data in the form of a data cube
A data cube, such as sales, allows data to be modeled and viewed in multiple dimensions
- Dimension tables, such as item (item_name, brand, type), or time(day, week, month, quarter, year)
- Fact table contains measures (such as dollars_sold) and keys to each of the related dimension tables
In data warehousing literature, an n-D base cube is called a base cuboid. The topmost 0-D cuboid, which holds the highest-level of summarization, is called the apex cuboid. The lattice of cuboids forms a data cube.