Data mart integration at measure level

Abstract

In the present literature Data Mart integration is typically considered from a dimension point of view. Approaches elaborate upon the hierarchical structure of dimensions to find the minimum common hierarchy where original dimensions can be mapped to. Although the problem of the conformance of measures has been recognized in the literature (see e.g. Kimball R, Ross M (2002) The Data Warehouse Toolkit: The Complete Guide to Dimensional Modeling (2nd Ed.), John Wiley & Sons, p. 87) as a condition for effective Data Mart integration, it is considered as a pre-requisite, so that integration strategies borrowed from the Database domain can be used. Considering the functional structure of a measure, that is the formula used to compute it, method and tools can be developed to support conformance checking and reconciliation. In this paper we review the problem of Data Mart integration, introducing the major types of conflicts considered in the literature. Next, we define novel types of conflicts hindering the conformance of measures and propose strategies for their reconciliation based on formula manipulation.