Ken North <> writes
>
> Bullard, Claude L (Len) <> asks:
>
> > Off topic, but since data warehousing comes up from
> > time to time: what is the advantage of using
> > an OLAP design vs a relational design?
>
> Peter Hunsberger wrote:
> >> With the exception of the specialized spatial, null compressed,
> >> database
> >> designs, for the most part, OLAP designs are relational
> >> designs just highly denormalized.
>
> Nice summary of the star schema (or not) question.
Thanks.
> Len will have to clarify the question. I thought he was
> asking whether to manage multi-dimensional data sets with a
> non-relational data store or an SQL database (MOLAP, ROLAP or HOLAP?).
>
Hmm, it looks as though you're right. However, in the next sentence he
asked "Is this advantage better or worse than a triple design?" Since I
don't particularly separate OLAP from relational I thought it must be a
OLAP vs. triple design question. Then again, maybe it's just that I
find the latter a much more interesting question to ponder...
