Data Warehousing on a Shoestring

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Data Warehousing on a Shoestring

• Utah State University
• Logan, Utah
• May 14, 2001

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Overview of Presentation

• Genesis Why we did it

• Process How we did it

• Results What we achieved

• Lessons Learned Opportunities

• Q A

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Genesis

• Why We Did It

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President Wanted Information
On the Telephone with

• Student / Parent

• Faculty / Staff

• Alumnus / Donor

• Regent / Legislator

• Instant information, Broad brush,
• Drill down to details

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What the President Wanted

• What He Was Willing to Pay For

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Process

• How We Did It

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Utah StateUniversity
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Decentralized IT Environment

• Autonomous Colleges and Departments

• CS defacto Administrators of IT

• Weak University Wide IT Plan

• No Vice President of IT or CIO

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Four Mainframe Applications

• Systems Computer Technology (SCT Shop)
• SIS Student Information System
• HRS Human Resource System
• FRS Financial Records System
• ADS Alumni Development System
• High School/College Relations
• Other Interested Campus Entities

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200 File Servers

• Strong Novell Presence
• Strong SUN Presence
• Growing Linux Presence

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Islands of Information

• Student Services
• Budget Office
• Planning Analysis
• Contracts Grants
• Personnel Services
• Independent Colleges

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President Wanted Information
Put your best men on it Get it done!
Build or Buy Simonize
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First Iteration
Information Builders DSS Client / Server
Implementation Support Intensive Shallow Input
from required participants In-fighting Turf
Battles over data ownership
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First Iteration

• R e s u l t s

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We looked again at OTS vendors
Display of logos does not imply endorsement or
criticism of products or companies.
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We Chose to Build

• FreeBSD
• Postgres
• PERL
• Apache
• Netscape 4.x

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Our Most Important Step!
We created two functioning groups empowered to
make decisions. AIMS Council Administrative
Information Management System S M
Group System Management Group (Smoke Mirrors)
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Results

• What We Achieved

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Tour the USU Data Warehouse
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As the Ancient Martial Arts Warn
Be Careful How You Use It!