Annual Dimensional Modeling and ETL Design Course

Susan Andre2004

Highly respected authority on Data Warehousing, Lawrence Corr, will return to S.A. in November this year to present a master class series on Data Warehouse design and development. Joining him for the first time in South Africa is equally respected industry colleague and information integration specialist, Joe Caserta, who co-authored and collaborated with Ralph Kimball, to bring the global BI industry the world’s very first in-depth book on Data Warehouse ETL design and development, The Data Warehouse ETL Toolkit.

As an additional value add, course delegates will be able to submit their ETL questions and issues with Joe who will address them during his class. Delegates may also consult with Lawrence to review their dimensional modelling designs.

Together, these internationally acclaimed information integration specialists form a formidable source of knowledge and expertise and this year, Alicornio Africa (formerly Sagent Southern Africa), hosts of the yearly seminar, promise the series to be even more beneficial and powerful than ever before. With the key intention of empowering local practitioners by taking them beyond the existing boundaries of Information Integration, says MD Alicornio Africa Susan Andre, “We have extended the course to incorporate two key modules namely, Extended Dimensional Analysis and Design and ETL Design. Delegates can expect to come away with arguably the most advanced Data Warehousing and ETL skills available to date. Our aim each year is to afford our industry colleagues the opportunity to advance their knowledge, which will ultimately have a positive and potent impact on the industry at large, and this year it is no different.”

From 15th to 17th November at the Unisys Auditorium, Sunninghill Johannesburg, the internationally acclaimed Corr will kick off the seminar by taking an in-depth look at extended dimensional analysis. In this workshop, Corr will explore the newest and most practical methods for accelerating the modeling process. Essentially, says Andre, “He will teach delegates how to close the gap between business analytical requirements and traditional dimensional modelling. This in turn will impact and improve on the productivity and communication between business users and dimensional modelers.”
The solutions and techniques transferred to delegates are sure to positively influence what is certainly a very real challenge for the BI industry and their clients alike. Corr will bring the complex methodology to life through practical business examples, in addition to encouraging a high level of interaction and hands-on involvement.

Caserta’s module will round off the week, with a focus on ETL design from 17th to 19th. Each module runs for two and half days, but Andre urges all those who can afford the time out of the office to attend the entire seminar, since the two segments are closely linked. On the topic of ETL Andre says, “It’s probably the most expensive and time consuming element of any data warehousing project, but the most vital process for ordering information for intelligent decision making. Delegates will find this module extremely valuable.” Caserta promises a transfer of skills that will see delegates provided with the necessary expertise to build the foundation for a successful, reduced cost data warehouse implementation process through designing precise and reusable processes to extract, clean, conform and deliver dimensional data.

The master class is specifically suited for those involved or interested in learning the latest techniques, and a level of intermediate and advanced knowledge is required. All interested data warehouse practitioners, data architects, DBA’s and ETL designers and developers will benefit from the series. Andre adds to this by saying, “For those wanting to attend the course but feel they are not at the required level of readiness, we are running a
pre-master class course in October presented by our local team.” For further information, registration or enquiries, contact Fiona King at Alicornio Africa on (011) 258 8739 or visit www.alicornio.co.za

About Alicornio Africa:

For the past six years, Alicornio Africa has serviced an impressive array of blue chip and other companies. In addition, they have continuously added to the knowledge pool of their industry by hosting leading international experts in the field in training and discussion forums. They have established themselves as leaders in the education of the expert and layman alike in the intricacies of the highly complex arena of business intelligence, information integration management, data warehousing, architecture, design and implementation. Alicornio Africa’s consulting services are both product and non-product specific. The company distributes and implements DOC1 for Customer Communication Management, and they are the distributors and implementation specialists of the Sagent Solution for Information Integration and Istante Software for Real-Time Enterprise reporting.

Lawrence Corr is a leading data warehouse design specialist and highly experienced educator. He has taught Data Warehouse design courses across Europe, North America and Africa. Having worked in decision support for the past 18 years, he later channelled his expertise into the arena of Data Warehousing and has since 1996 become recognised as a world leader in the field. He has advised on numerous data warehouse projects in Europe, USA, Middle East and Africa and has developed and reviewed designs for clients within the industries of Insurance, Aerospace, Pharmaceuticals, Engineering, Manufacturing, Telecom’s, Financial Services and Retail. In recent years, he held the position of data warehouse practice leader at Linc Systems Corporation, CT, USA and was vice-president of data warehousing products at Teleran Technologies, NJ, USA. In 2000 he was invited by Dr. Ralph Kimball to become an associate and has taught data warehousing classes for Kimball University in Europe and South Africa. He now works independently through his own company based in the UK providing dimensional data warehouse consultancy and education worldwide.

Joe Caserta, in collaboration with Dr. Ralph Kimball, is the co-author of the first in-depth book on data warehouse ETL design and development, The Data Warehouse ETL Toolkit. He is an influential data warehousing veteran whose expertise is shaped by years of industry experience. Joe has over 14 years of experience providing software solutions and has been wholly dedicated to Data Warehouse solutions since 1996. Joe's roles in data warehouse projects usually include Project Manager and Data Warehouse Architect. Joe also has considerable hands-on experience in the major tool sets and databases required for successful physical implementations.