The Data Warrior

Changing the world, one data model at a time. How can I help you?

Archive for the category “Data Warehouse”

12 Jun 2015
2 Comments

The Hills were Alive with the Sounds of #DataVault

Yes folks a few weeks back we held the 2nd Annual World Wide Data Vault Consortium (#WWDVC) at the lovely Trapp Family Lodge outside Stowe, Vermont. What a great venue! Beautiful scenery, near perfect weather, great food, and great beer (they have their own brewery). Standing on the hillside it is easy to see why the Von Trapp Family Singers (you know from “The Sound of Music”) decided to settle here to build their new life in America.

What a view!

What a view!

Of course the learning and networking were outstanding again. This year was even better than last year.

Why?

  1. Location, location, location
  2. It was May (so much warmer that last year in St Albans – brrrr.)
  3. Dr. Claudia Imhoff gave the keynote! I love her new concept #XDW – the Extended Data Warehouse.
  4. Scott Ambler talked about Agile DW! It takes a Disciplined approach to be agile.
  5. Dan talked about DV 2.0 and Big Data.
  6. Sanjay showed us how he built a DV 2.0 platform on Hadoop.
  7. Multiple, real world case studies of DV 2.0 working in the wild around the globe.
  8. I gave two talks and showed models and code from one of my recent adventures.
  9. Five members of the Boulder BI Brain Trust (#BBBT) in attendance.
  10. We had multiple 30-minute networking sessions between the talks (who does that?). Plenty of time to ask questions and get to know each other.
  11. Three (count ’em 3!) global software vendors with off the shelf tools that support the automatic generation of DV 2.0 compliant components. Wow!
  12. BBQ dinner hosted by AnalytixDS. Yum!
  13. Crazy shirt day and contest.
  14. And did I mention three days of face-to-face networking with world-renowned experts. (I got to have lunch with Claudia Imhoff AND Scott Amber at the same time – a once in a lifetime opportunity)
  15. Fresh German-style craft beer.
  16. Bavarian pastries from the in house bakery.
  17. Did I mention the food?
  18. The view.
  19. The hiking. (Good to get outside and exercise after all those sessions.)
  20. The mountain biking (after the conference of course).

As if that was not enough, I was privileged to attend an exclusive workshop/mentoring/Q&A session with Dan the day before the event, where he told us about new, as yet unpublished DV 2.0 additions, explained in depth the zero-key concept, the right way to use hash keys, 3 stages of managed self-service BI, and a host of other topics and issues we all wanted feedback on. My brain was tired before the conference even started.

Hint: if you want to get invited to that special session next year, you need to get DV 2.0 certified ASAP. Keep an eye on LearnDataVault for Dan’s teaching and speaking schedule and locations or contact me about setting up a class if you can’t make one of his (I am an authorized DV 2.0 Bootcamp Instructor too).

Bummed out now that you missed all this great learning? Not like I did not warn you!

Well first, you can catch a lot of the action and a bunch of pictures by mining the Twitter stream for #WWDVC. But since I know you are all too busy (or lazy?), here it is for you:

Really wish you were there? Really?

You are in luck because Dan managed to record some of the best session on video! The videos and all the PowerPoint presentations are now available, for sale, on the Data Vault learning site. Just check out this offering WWDVC 2015 Videos. In addition to the videos listed, you get all the other presentation materials from the speakers (including me).

Right now the cost is $499 (yup more than the conference but hey, no travel expense). Since you are a loyal reader of my blog, you can get a 20% discount off that by using the coupon code KENT10S during checkout.

Even without the discount, it is more than worth the money. The video of Claudia’s keynote and Scott Ambler’s talk are worth that much alone.  The videos are high quality and both of them are amazing speakers. (FYI – some of the videos are very long and may take a minute or two to load depending on your internet connection)

So that is my short review of WWDVC 2015. Glad I was able to be a part of this great event!

VonTrappLodge2Keep you eyes on http://wwdvc.com/ for the announcement of the 2016 event and the call for papers (which will open soon).

See you next year? (Somewhere near Stowe again)

Kent

The Data Warrior

P.S. Dan’s newest book that covers Data Vault 2.0 is now available for pre-order on Amazon. Get a preview of Dan’s new DV 2.0 book.

Posted in BBBT, Big Data, Data Vault, Data Warehouse and tagged , , , , ,
19 May 2015

Better Data Modeling: 7 Differentiating Characteristics of Data Vault 2.0

Hard to believe that the 2nd Annual World Wide Data Vault Consortium (WWDVC15) is NEXT WEEK in beautiful Stowe Vermont. It promises to be an excellent event. The speakers include myself, Claudia Imhoff, Dan Linstedt (the inventor of Data Vault), Scott Ambler, Roelant Vos, Dirk Lerner and many more. The focus will be DV 2.0, agile data warehousing, big data, NoSQL, virtualization and automation. Check out the agenda here: http://wwdvc.com/schedule/

So in preparation (and to encourage you to attend), I thought it might be good to review some of the important basics about Data Vault 2.0 and why it is an important evolution for the data warehousing community.

The approach started out as the Common Foundational Warehouse Modeling Architecture as it’s official name. Then it was more commonly known as the “Data Vault” and became a modelling method for Data Warehouses. It also had a methodology with implementation guidelines and worked very, very well on relational platforms for many, many years (over 10 years for those who did not know).

But technology evolved. NoSQL architectures came into the picture primarily as sources. The Apache Hadoop platform started offering a cheaper storage and processing MPP architecture.

Data Vault evolved into Data Vault 2.0 and already has many successful implementations. The original Data Vault is now referred to as Data Vault 1.0 (or DV 1.0) and it primarily has a modelling focus. DV 2.0 on the other hand changes some things, and adds a LOT.

Data Vault 2.0 has the following 7 differing characteristics:

1. DV 2.0 is a complete system of Business Intelligence. It talks about everything from concept to delivery. While DV 1.0 had a major focus on modelling and many of the modelling concepts are similar, DV 2.0 goes a step further and talks about data from source to business user facing constructs with guidelines for implementation, agile, virtualization and more.

2. DV 2.0 can adapt to changes better than pretty much ANY other data warehouse architecture or framework. It can do it even better than DV 1.0 because of the change in design to adapt to NoSQL and MPP platforms, if needed. DV 2.0 has successfully been implemented on MPP RDBMS platforms like Teradata as well (ask Dan for details).

3. DV 2.0 is both “big data” and “NoSQL” ready. In fact, there are implementations where data is sourced in real-time from NoSQL databases with phenomenal success stories. One of these was presented at the WWDVC 2014 where an organization saved lots of money by using this architecture.

A near real-time case study for absorbing data from MongoDB is being presented at WWDVC2015. It’s not to be missed.

4. DV 2.0 takes advantage of MPP style platforms and is designed with MPP in mind. While DV 1.0 also did this to an extent, DV 2.0 takes it to a completely other level with a zero-dependency type architecture. Of course, there are a few caveats you will need to learn.

5. DV 2.0 lets you easily tie structured and multi-structured data together (logically) where you can join data across environments easily. This particular aspect lets you build your Data Warehouse on multiple platforms while using the most appropriate storage platform to the particular data set. It lets you build a truly distributed Data Warehouse.

6. DV 2.0 has a greater focus on agility with principles of Disciplined Agile Delivery (DAD) embedded in the architecture and approach. Again, being agile was certainly possible with DV 1.0, but it wasn’t a part of the methodology. DV 2.0 is not just “agile ready”, it’s completely agile.

7. DV 2.0 has a very strong focus on both automation and virtualization as much as possible. There are already a couple of automation tools in the market that have the Dan’s approval (just ask). Some of them will be at WWDVC15.

It’s real-time ready, cloud ready, NoSQL ready and big data friendly. And practitioners have already had success in all these areas (on real projects not just in the lab).

And, as you’ll notice on the agenda, the focus at WWDVC15 will be Data Vault 2.0 with examples of sourcing it from MongoDB, with examples of virtualization (from me!), with examples of design mods (also one from me), with examples of Hadoop implementations and more. It’s not something you want to miss, and there’s hardly any time or seats left.

If you are coming, I look forward to seeing you and chatting about the world of DW/BI and agile. If you want to attend, grab one of the last seats over at http://wwdvc.com/#tile_registration  (if there are still seats left by the time you get this message).

See you soon!

Kent

The Data Warrior

P.S. After the conference, the next place you’ll hear about DV 2.0 is in Berlin. There is a bootcamp and certification starting on 16th June at Berlin, Germany. The details are here: http://www.doerffler.com/en/data-vault-training/data-vault-2-0-boot-camp-and-certification-berlin/

Posted in BBBT, Big Data, Data Modeling, Data Vault, Data Warehouse and tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment
09 Feb 2015
2 Comments

The 12 Steps to Faster Data Warehouse Success

Announcement!

I have exciting news!

With the help of my good friend Dan Linstedt (of LearnDataVault.com fame), we have just launched my first online training video based on my very popular white paper and talk: Agile Methods and Data Warehousing: How to Deliver Faster.

Most of you will agree that data warehousing and business intelligence projects take too long to deliver tangible results. I am sure all you project and program managers wish it was not true.

Often by the time a solution is in place, the business needs have changed.

With all the talk about Agile development methods, including SCRUM and Extreme Programming, the question arises as to how these approaches can be used to deliver data warehouse and business intelligence projects faster. This new online course will look at the 12 principles behind the Agile Manifesto and see how they can be applied in the context of a data warehouse project. Then I will talk about some of the specific agile techniques I have used with great success on my projects over the last 15 years. The goal is to determine a method or methods to get a more rapid (2-4 week) delivery of portions of an enterprise data warehouse architecture.

The last time I gave this talk, in Helsinki, Finland at Harmony 2014, I had standing room only and ended up being rated the 2nd best speaker at the event (pretty cool!). It was so popular that the UK Oracle Users Group asked me to write an article on the same topic for their international newsletter.

Since many of you don’t get the chance to travel to events like this (or may have missed my session), you can now see my talk online, at your convenience, for much less than the cost of a conference fee (and the airfare to get there!). We just filmed it last week, after I completed my most recent agile data warehouse engagement, so it contains some new insights and stories that even the folks in Helsinki did not get to hear.

As a bonus, once you have finished the course, you will be able to download a free copy of the detailed article I wrote for UKOUG.

If you have questions during or after the course, you can post them right there in the training portal where I will answer them. So in addition to the training course and the white paper, you also get interactive access to me!

How do I sign up?

So how do you sign up for this new class and how much does it cost?

Well, the full price for course will be $199, but for those of  you who read my blog, I have a special Valentines Day Special offer: if you are one of the first 50 people to purchase the class between now and midnight February 15, 2015, you get a full 50% off the retail price.

So that is $99.50 for over an hour of valuable content PLUS a copy of my white paper (and access to ask me your burning questions).

Use the coupon code: GRAZIANO50

You can buy it now by going to the all new Learn Data Vault training portal now.

On the site you see the class description, outline, and my introductory video, along with the “Buy Now!” button.

So hurry and cash in my special gift to you before the time is up (remember after 2/15/15 it will be $199).

Applying Agile

For those of you who had no idea there were 12 Principles behind the Agile Manifesto, let me tell you about one that I think is vitally important: Principle #6

The most efficient and effective method of conveying information to and within a development team is face-to-face conversation.

This means the team works best when co-located so they can easily talk to each other during the day.

HINT: If not co-located, you need to be sure you have an adequate instant messaging system in place to facilitate their daily interaction. And that the team agrees to use it!

In addition, another best practice is to hold Team Huddles every morning. In the class, I give a lot of details about huddles and how they work, but the main point is that the team needs to meet briefly once a day (usually the morning) to make sure they are all one the same page as to what they are all working on.

I can tell you for a fact, that the daily huddles and ongoing interaction is definitely a critical success factor in adopting agile practices for your data warehouse team. I have seen great success where this was implemented properly and I have also seen lots of issues when the team did not communicate daily. There is no better recipe for disaster than to have your data architect building the wrong view when the report writer is trying to finalize the output with the user. Yikes!

So, if you want to learn how to apply the 12 Principle of Agile to become more successful in delivering usable results to your data warehouse and BI program, please go over to the training site and sign up from my class.

Here’s to your success!

Kent

The Data Warrior

P.S. Don’t forget to sign up before 2/15/15 with coupon code GRAZIANO50 to get 50% off the full price.

 

Posted in Data Modeling, Data Warehouse and tagged , , , , , , , , , ,
02 Feb 2015
3 Comments

Better Data Modeling: The Data Warrior Speaks 2015

Great news, I have confirmed three major events, and one local event so far this year where you can come out and hear me speak about some of my favorite topics: #DataModeling, #SQLDevModeler, and #DataVault.

So, line up your training budget and get registered for at least one of these great events.

DAMA Houston

My first talk for the year will be local – downtown Houston. I will present an Introduction to Data Vault Modeling for the Houston Chapter of DAMA International (next week!).

When: 10-Feb-2015
Time: 1pm – 4:30pm
Where: Chevron Building, Rio Grande Room – 51st floor, 1600 Smith, Houston, TX 77002

If you plan to attend, please RSVP directly to stephen.pace@kalido.com.

RMOUG Training Days 2015

Held every year at the Denver Convention Center in mid-February, The Rocky Mountain Oracle Users Group Training Days is the best value around for user group events – low cost ($395- $455), great locations (Denver!), and excellent speaker lineup (international speakers, Oracle ACE and ACE Directors).

I will be speaking both Wednesday, February 18, and Thursday, February 19 (last session!). My topics this year will be an Introduction to SQL Developer Data Modeler, and Worst Practices in Data Warehouse Design.

Plus I will be leading Morning Chi Gung exercises at 7 AM both days to get you all warmed up for a great day of learning. Check the entire agenda here.

As a bonus there are some excellent deep dive sessions on Tuesday, February 17th that are not to be missed, so get there early.

New this year will be Special Interest Group (SIG) meetings during lunch on Wednesday. I will be co-leading one on Data Integration & Data Warehousing with Bobby Curtis.

So, lots to do see and learn. Sign up today (and bring your ski equipment for the weekend after).

2nd Annual World Wide Data Vault Consortium

WWDVC was so successful last year, that Dan decided to do it again. This year there is even a new cool website for the event, which will be held May 28-30 in Stowe, Vermont at the Trapp Family Lodge. This will be a small event (less than 60 people), with a single track so you won’t have to decide which talk to attend.

Yes, the hills will be alive with the sounds of Data Vault geeks from around the world telling their tales of trials, tribulations, and success as they try to implement large, agile, enterprise data warehouse programs across many industries. Topics include:

  • Big Data, NoSQL
  • Virtualization of Data Marts
  • Data Vault 2.0 & Agility
  • Changing roles of Data Modeling
  • Managed Self-Service BI

The speaker lineup is a who’s-who of the data warehouse and agile world.

Special guests this year include a keynote from Claudia Imhoff, Dan Linstedt,  and newest addition Scott Ambler (one of the authors of the Agile Manifesto).

I will be there again, giving two talks with my buddy from McKesson, Keith Hoyle. We will discuss Data Warehousing in the Real World and talk about our endeavors to develop Virtualized Hybrid Type 1-2 Dimensions to enable Extreme BI.

Don’t miss this chance to rub elbows and network with the top innovators and thinkers in the data warehouse and BI space. Sign up soon as there are limited slots and limited rooms at the inn.

ODTUG KScope15

Another amazing annual event, this user group gathering will be a veritable who’s-who in the Oracle community. Again you will find Oracle ACEs and ACE Directors, as well as Oracle Product Managers, all ready and willing to discuss the latest and greatest tools for doing Oracle development work. Check out the amazing list of talks and presenters.

This year it is back to the beach for KScope. It will be held June 21-25 at the Diplomat Resort and Spa on the beach in Hollywood, Florida.

By popular demand, the last day of the conference will be all Deep Dive sessions, so be sure to plan your travel to hang out until the end (and then enjoy the beach!).

I will be giving two talks during the week (same ones as at RMOUG), answering questions on a panel or two, and again running my annual Morning Chi Gung sessions every morning (but this year outside on the beach).

This should be a very educational and relaxing event as it is every year. And it is in a family-friendly location so bring the gang along.  You can register today and still get a huge early registration discount.

So what are you  waiting for?

See you soon!

Kent

The Data Warrior

P.S. While at these events I do expect to have some limited free time, so if you would like some one-on-one coaching in person, contact me directly at kent <dot> graziano <at> att <dot> net to set up a session.

 

Posted in Chi Gung, Data Modeling, Data Vault, Data Warehouse, Oracle, SQL Developer Data Modeler, User Groups and tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,
21 Jan 2015

New Year, New Name, Same Mission

Happy New Year!

Looks like it will be another busy one. So, let’s get going!

Yes, I just changed the name of my blog from “Oracle Data Warrior” to “The Data Warrior.”

Why?

Well, for one, my company name is Data Warrior LLC, so it seemed to make sense.

Plus over the last few years quite a few of you that I see at conferences and such, simply call me “data warrior”. As in,

Hey, Data Warrior, how’s the battle going?

And after a some recent conversations and pondering, I realized that, while I am an Oracle ACE Director, and a fan of Oracle databases and tools, the things I write about and the work I do, is really database agnostic.

Think about it…

Regardless of the database, or data modeling tool, good design principles,  architecture, and standards transcend the technology.

Third normal form

Dimensional

Data Vault

Anchor

There are standards and best practices that are applied in developing all of these models that have nothing to do with technology. (Yes, implementing them efficiently is another story).

Some of my favorite topics, like FKs in data warehouses, and naming standards, are somewhat philosophical, and apply in many situations.

But never fear, you will still see posts on my favorite tool, SQL Developer Data Modeler,  and reports from all the main Oracle events (RMOUG, ODTUG, OOW).

And there will be the occasional rants about badly behaving data models and data modelers.

And of course Data Vault, Agile BI, and varying forms of virtualization.

Plus the occasion inspirational quote.

So while the name has changed, the content will not; the mission will not.

My mission is still to Change the World, One Data Model at a Time.

Let’s see what the year will bring us.

Kent

The Data Warrior

P.S. Look for future posts about upcoming talks I am giving, and at least one surprise new offering.

 

Posted in Data Modeling, Data Vault, Data Warehouse, Oracle, SQL Developer Data Modeler and tagged , , , , , , | Leave a comment

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