Business Intelligence and Big Data

Aim

To introduce learners to the techniques used in the design and implementation of business intelligence solutions and the issues relating to big data.

Learning Outcomes

On successful completion of this course, the learner will be able to:

1. Create Structured Query Language (SQL) queries for extracting and summarising data using joins, subqueries and aggregate functions
2. Identify and explain the issues relating to the management of data and the role of the Database Administrator (DBA)
3. Construct stored procedures to be used in the implementation of reporting applications and to perform basic data pre-processing steps
4. Create a multidimensional model using the star schema architecture in the design of a data warehouse
5. Discuss and explain contemporary issues and challenges relating to big data and business intelligence

Indicative content

• Intermediate Data Manipulation Language (DML) statements involving inner joins, outer joins, aggregate functions, date and string functions to create views and other reporting functionality
• Stored procedures with input and output parameters for data summarisation, error handling, and row processing involved in generating reports and dashboards and the handling messy data
• Issues relating to the management of data and the role of the DBA
• Data warehousing design strategies, star and snowflake schemas
• Issues and challenges relating to big data, cloud computing and the storage of unstructured data
• The Four V's of Big Data