RE: What is the difference between Oracle and Teradata?

Both Oracle and Teradata are RDBMS databases. However teradata is specially designed for Dataware house. The
data retrieval is much faster in teradata which is the major advantage. Its architecture is different from Oracle

st Rated Answer
—
Submitted by: Ravikumar

star schema: it is a highy de-normilised techinque... in this one fact table is associated with n number of
dimensions table... .. it looks like a star..
snow Flake Schema: If We apply normilised Princples to Star Schema Then It is Known As Snow Flake Schema.. In
This Each Demsion Table Associated With Sub Dimenson Table..

Above answer was rated as good by the following members:

IntMav

November 28, 2006 08:50:38 #1 .

Rahul verma

RE: what is the difference between star schema and sno...

Star Schema : Star Schema is a relational database schema for representing multimensional data. It is the
simplest form of data warehouse schema that contains one or more dimensions and fact tables. It is called a star
schema because the entity-relationship diagram between dimensions and fact tables resembles a star where one
fact table is connected to multiple dimensions. The center of the star schema consists of a large fact table and it
points towards the dimension tables. The advantage of star schema are slicing down performance increase and
easy understanding of data.
Snowflake Schema : A snowflake schema is a term that describes a star schema structure normalized through the
use of outrigger tables. i.e dimension table hierachies are broken into simpler tables.
In a star schema every dimension will have a primary key.
 In a star schema a dimension table will not have any parent table.
 Whereas in a snow flake schema a dimension table will have one or more parent tables.
 Hierarchies for the dimensions are stored in the dimensional table itself in star schema.
 Whereas hierachies are broken into separate tables in snow flake schema. These hierachies helps to drill down
the data from topmost hierachies to the lowermost hierarchies.

Is this answer useful? Yes | No

November 29, 2006 00:57:56 #2 .

 srinuv_11

Member Since: October 2006 Contribution: 23

RE: what is the difference between star schema and sno...

Star schema : In this star schema fact table in normalized format and dimension table is in de normalized format.
It also known as basic star schema.
Snow flake schema: In this both dimension and fact table is in normalized format only. It is also knwon as
Extended star schema.
If u r taking the snow flake it requires more dimensions more foreign keys and it will reduse the query
performance but it normalizes the records.
depends on the requirement we can choose the schema

Is this answer useful? Yes | No

January 04, 2007 07:03:13 #3 .

Guest

RE: what is the difference between star schema and sno...

Both these schemas are generally used in Datawarehousing.

Star schema as the name indicates resembles the form of star as there is only one fact table which is associated
with numerous dimension tables (with the help of foreign keys).This schema depicts a high level of denormalized
view of data.
However in Snowflake schema the dimension tables are further normalized into different tables (fact table is single
in this schema also).This schema stores data in a more normalized form .
It depends on scenario as how much data is generally there in the datawarehouse generally star schema is
preferred.
 Is this answer useful? Yes | No

January 17, 2007 13:05:13 #4 .

Ravikumar

RE: what is the difference between star schema and sno...

star schema: it is a highy de-normilised techinque... in this one fact table is associated with n number of
dimensions table... .. it looks like a star..
snow Flake Schema: If We apply normilised Princples to Star Schema Then It is Known As Snow Flake Schema.. In
This Each Demsion Table Associated With Sub Dimenson Table..

Is this answer useful? Yes | No Overall Rating: +1

1 0

September 26, 2008 02:00:32 #5 .

lakshmib

Member Since: September 2008 Contribution: 3

RE: what is the difference between star schema and snow flake schema ?and when we use those schema's?

Star Schema means A centralized fact table and surrounded by different dimensions Snowflake means In the same
star schema dimensions split into another dimensions

Star Schema contains Highly Denormalized Data

Snow flake contains Partially normalized data

Star cannot have parent table But snow flake contain parent tables. Need to go for Star: Here
 Simply database

Support drilling up options

Need for Snowflake schema: Here some times we used to provide? seperate dimensions from existing dimensions
that time we will go to snowflake

Dis Advantage Of snowflake: Query performance is very low because more joiners are present

Is this answer useful? Yes | No

December 17, 2008 22:35:23 #6 .

mri_sonam

Member Since: July 2008 Contribution: 19

RE: what is the difference between star schema and snow flake schema ?and when we use those schema's?

Star Schema:
Definition: The star schema is the simplest data warehouse schema. It is called a star schema because the
diagram resembles a star with points radiating from a center.

A single Fact table (center of the star) surrounded by multiple dimensional tables(the points of the star).
Advantages:

• Simplest DW schema

• Easy to understand

• Easy to Navigate between the tables due to less number of joins.

• Most suitable for Query processing

Disadvantages:

• Occupies more space

• Highly Denormalized

Snowflake schema:

Definition: A Snowflake schema is a Data warehouse Schema which consists of a single Fact table and
multiple dimensional tables. These Dimensional tables are normalized.A variant of the star schema where
 each dimension can have its own dimensions.

Advantages:
• These tables are easier to maintain

Saves the storage space.

Disadvantages:

• Due to large number of joins it is complex to navigate

Starflake schema - Hybrid structure that contains a mixture of (denormalized) STAR and (normalized) SNOWFLAKE
schemas.

Is this answer useful? Yes | No

April 14, 2009 06:42:06 #7 .

ranjandas123

Member Since: April 2009 Contribution: 1

RE: what is the difference between star schema and snow flake schema ?and when we use those schema's?

1. Star shema is Demormalised data but in snowflack schema its normalised

2. when when star schema splited into it become to snowflack schema
3. Performace will be more on star schema but performance less in snoflack schema due to joins
4. Star schema is simple but snowflack is complex
5. Dimention table in star schema having no maste table but Dimention table in snowflack having so many maste
table.
6. Star schema having one fact table sarounded by dimetion table but incase of snowflack schema more than one
fact table sarrounded by dimetion table.

Is this answer useful? Yes | No

May 25, 2009 13:51:51 #8 .

 erpooja88

Member Since: January 2008 Contribution: 1

RE: what is the difference between star schema and snow flake schema ?and when we use those schema's?

Accurate information is star schemas have more joins because it has only one dimension table per fact and so to
retrieve more queries we have to use joins...

Is this answer useful? Yes | No

June 23, 2009 07:11:52 #9 .

shakilag

Member Since: June 2009 Contribution: 10

RE: What is the difference between star schema and snow flake schema? When we use those schema's?

Star Schema:

A single fact table associated to N dimension tables.

This schema is denormalised and hence has good performance as this involves a simple join rather than a complex
query.

Snowflake schema:

A star schema in which dimensions are further normalised.

As this schema is normalised and hence will give slower performance as this involves lot of complex joins (involves
many dimensions).

Re: When should you use a STAR and when a SNOW-FLAKE schema?

Answ The snowflake and star schema are

er methods of storing data
# 1 which are multidimensional in
nature (i.e. which can be
analysed by any or all of a number
of independent factors)
in a relational database.
The snowflake schema (sometimes
called snowflake join
schema) is a more complex schema
than the star schema
because the tables which describe
the dimensions are
normalized.
Snowflake schema is nothing but
one dimension table will be
connected to another dimension
table and so on.
------------
Snowflake
------------
? If a dimension is very sparse
(i.e. most of the
possible values for the dimension
have no data) and/or a
dimension has a very long list of
attributes which may be
used in a query, the dimension
table may occupy a
significant proportion of the
database and snow flaking may
be appropriate.
? A multidimensional view is
sometimes added to an
existing transactional database to
aid reporting. In this
case, the tables which describe
the dimensions will already
exist and will typically be
normalized. A snowflake schema
will hence be easier to implement.
? A snowflake schema can
sometimes reflect the way in
which users think about data.
Users may prefer to generate
queries using a star schema in
some cases, although this
may or may not be reflected in the
underlying organization
of the database.
? Some users may wish to submit
queries to the
database which, using conventional
multidimensional
reporting tools, cannot be
expressed within a simple star
schema. This is particularly
common in data mining of
customer databases, where a common
requirement is to locate
common factors between customers
who bought products
meeting complex criteria. Some
snow flaking would typically
be required to permit simple query
tools such as Cognos
Power play to form such a query,
especially if provision
for these forms of query weren't
anticipated when the data
warehouse was first designed.

---------
Star
----------
The star schema (sometimes
referenced as star join schema)
is the simplest data warehouse
schema, consisting of a
single "fact table" with a
compound primary key, with one
segment for each "dimension" and
with additional columns of
additive, numeric facts.
The star schema makes multi-
dimensional database (MDDB)
 functionality possible using a
traditional relational
database. Because relational
databases are the most common
data management system in
organizations today, implementing
multi-dimensional views of data
using a relational database
is very appealing. Even if you are
using a specific MDDB
solution, its sources likely are
relational databases.
Another reason for using star
schema is its ease of
understanding. Fact tables in star
schema are mostly in
third normal form (3NF), but
dimensional tables are in de-
normalized second normal form
(2NF). If you want to
normalize dimensional tables, they
look like snowflakes
(see snowflake schema) and the
same problems of relational
databases arise - you need complex
queries and business
users cannot easily understand the
meaning of data.
Although query performance may be
improved by advanced DBMS
technology and hardware, highly
normalized tables make
reporting difficult and
applications complex.

Questi
on What are Fact tables and Dimension Tables?

Question Submitted By :: Guest

I also faced this Question!! Ran Answer

 k Posted By

Re: What are Fact tables and Dimension Tables?

Answe Fact table: It contains numeric 1 Ansari

r values and also contain
# 1 composite key(i.e collection of
foreign key) e.g.. sales
and profit.
Dimension table: It contains
character values E.g
Customer_name,Customer_city.

13
Is This Answer Yes
Correct ? 36 No

Re: What are Fact tables and Dimension Tables?

Answe A fact table typically has two

r types of columns: those that
# 2 contain facts and those that
are foreign keys to dimension
tables. facts may be composed
of measures,degenerated
dimensions.The primary key of a
fact table is usually a
composite key that is made up
of all of its foreign keys

Dimension tables, also known as

lookup or reference tables,
contain the relatively static
data in the warehouse.
Dimension tables store the
information you normally use to
contain queries. Dimension
tables are usually textual and
descriptive and you can use
 them as the row headers of the
result set. Examples are
customers or products

Re: What is Factless fact table ???

Answ A Fact table without 3 Rajku

er measures(numeric data) for a mar
#1 column is Bachu
called Factless Fact table.

eg: Promotion Fact(only key

value available in FT)

25
Is This Answer Yes
Correct ? 1 No

Re: What is Factless fact table ???

Answ FACT TABLE CONTAINS ONLY

er ID,KEYS AND DESCRIPTION COLUMNS
#2 AND
NOT MEASURES ARE KNOWN AS
FACTLEES FACT TABLES

23
Is This Answer Yes
Correct ? 1 No