Star Schema The Complete Reference

CHAPTER 4A Fact Table for Each Process

It is rare to find a subject area that can be fully described by a single fact table. It is impossible to find an enterprise that can be covered by a single fact table. In almost every practical application, multiple fact tables will be necessary.

As a general rule of thumb, dimensional designs include a single fact table for each process to be studied. This allows each process to be analyzed individually, without undue complications that result from designs where a single fact table covers multiple processes. This chapter presents techniques you can use to determine when you are dealing with multiple processes, and explains the implications of not describing them in separate fact tables.

While analysis ...