SQL Server RDBMS, Fast Track DW, and SQL Server PDW

It may strike you as odd that, as we’re well into our coverage of the Microsoft BI stack, we mention the SQL Server Relational Database Management System (RDBMS) itself. We do so because while the primary application of the SQL Server RDBMS is as a transactional database, it is also an excellent data mart and data warehouse solution. Before we explain why, let’s define what these terms actually mean.

Data Marts and Data Warehouses

The purpose of both data marts and data warehouses is to provide consolidation points for disparate systems, reconcile their data structures, unify their data, and allow queries across the universe of transactions. There’s no hard and fast definition that distinguishes ...

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