New database terms 2007

[agibsonsw]

Hello.
Could someone attempt to describe (briefly) the terms data cube,data warehouse and splices?
I come across these terms but am of the opinion that they are still based on SQL statements and,
probably, relational databases, so they can't be as complicated /innovative as they sound?
Thanks, Andy.

[Wendell]

I'll take a quick stab at it, but others may also want to chime in. A Data Cube, or more precisely, an OLAP (Online Analytical Processing) Cube is data stored in a multi-dimensional array so it can be quickly analyzed, and is not stored in a relational structure in general, although the major database engines have introduced features that support the concept.

Data Warehouse is a concept where data is organized for the generation of reports, typically where information is time sensitive, and often contains very large quantities of data. A data warehouse may be organized as a dimensional (data cube) structure, or as a relational structure, and a number of hybrid approaches.

Splice is not a term I hear used in connection with database work, but it is sometimes used to refer to linked lists. And it is also used in the LINUX world as the name of a system call. In what context have you seen the term?

[HansV]

See the Wikipedia articles for OLAP cube (also mentions Slice - which might be more appropriate here than Splice) and Data warehouse.

[VegasNath]

Data warehouse, Data cube and 'Slice & Dice' are all terms that I have come accross in 'Business Objects' which is a database tool. I'm far from an expert in this field though.

Google - Business objects slice and dice

[agibsonsw]

Thank you all for these details. I will also pursue the links given, but is data still obtained from data cubes by SQL
statements? Are data cubes fundamentally different to storage within relational databases?
Andy.