I have been an Oracle DBA for the last four years. I did one project in business intelligence -- churn management -- for a telecom company. I learned SAS programming, and then I became SAS certified.
What path would you suggest for me to make a career in data warehousing and business intelligence?
QUESTION POSED ON: 13 OCT 2004
QUESTION ANSWERED BY: Ian Abramson
The addition of data warehousing to a DBA's toolkit is a great idea. The concepts and methods that a warehouse uses are rarely used in other environments, but should be.
To start the process you need to approach this from two perspectives: data warehousing at a theoretical and methodological level and Oracle technology for data warehouses.
The first is to understand what a data warehouse is and how it is built. I would suggest books from Ralph Kimball and Bill Inmon, who have written what I feel are the best books to help one learn and ultimately design and implement a data warehouse. They do present two distinct approaches, but understanding both will aid you in finding the best solutions in the future. As for Oracle data warehouse knowledge, I encourage you to look at Oracle's Data Warehousing Guide. I know it's documentation, but it discusses the features that are available and should act as a starting point.
I would also suggest that you get involved in groups that focus on data warehouses. They have many resources that can add to your knowledge base, including articles and conferences. I would suggest the Data Warehousing Institute or other like groups.
Hope this helps you to get started.
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