OLAP:

- Full Form: On-Line Analytical Processing

- OLAP is characterized by relatively low volume of transactions. Queries are often very
complex and involve aggregations. For OLAP systems a response time is an
effectiveness measure. OLAP applications are widely used by Data Mining techniques.
In OLAP database there is aggregated, historical data, stored in multi-dimensional
schemas (usually star schema).

- The advantages of OLAP are:

- OLAP servers can be easily used with existing RDBMS.
- Data can be stored efficiently, since no zero facts can be stored.
- OLAP tools do not use pre-calculated data cubes.
- DSS server of micro-strategy adopts the ROLAP(a type of OLAP) approach.
- Easier to use, therefore MOLAP(a type of OLAP) is suitable for inexperienced
users.

- The disadvantages of OLAP are:

- Poor query performance.
- Some limitations of scalability depending on the technology architecture that is
utilized.
- MOLAP(a type of OLAP) are not capable of containing detailed data.
- The storage utilization may be low if the data set is sparse.

OLTP:

- Full Form: On-Line Transaction Processing

- OLTP is characterized by a large number of short on-line transactions (INSERT,

UPDATE, DELETE). The main emphasis for OLTP systems is put on very fast query
processing, maintaining data integrity in multi-access environments and an
effectiveness measured by number of transactions per second. In OLTP database there
is detailed and current data, and schema used to store transactional databases is the
entity model (usually 3NF).

- The advantages of OLTP are:

- Easy and best solution for online shoppers.
- These systems are most efficient and have excellent response times.
- Very easy to use; as simple as fill a form and the rest will be taken care of by the
web and database servers.
- Online banking is completely based on online transaction processing systems.
- Credit cards are also well-handled by these systems.
 - You can access anything on the web and choose to buy it because all financial
transactions methods are supported by these systems.

- The disadvantages of OLTP are:

- At times, there occur millions and millions of requests at a time which gets
difficult to handle.
- During purchases even if the servers hang for few seconds a large number of
transactions get affected, in turn affecting the organization's’ reputation.
- Databases store all user data and account information, if these servers are
hacked, it could lead to financial and personal problems (thefts).
- In the case of hardware failures of the online transaction processing systems,
visitors of the website get in trouble and their online transactions get affected.
- Electricity problem is another issue, i.e., if there is a shortage in electric supply
additional backup facilities like generators and related hardware, is a must.
- Online transaction processing involves a lot of staff working in groups to maintain
inventory.
- These online transaction systems impose processing costs on the buyers and
sellers as well.
- These systems do not have efficient methods of transferring products to
buyers by themselves. That’s where the e-commerce websites come in.
- The fundamental of operation of online transaction systems is atomicity.
Atomicity ensures that if any step fails in the process of the transaction, the entire
transaction must fail, due to which the same steps have to be repeated again and
again while filling forms which causes dissatisfaction among buyers.