Meaningless integer keys, otherwise known as surrogate keys, are commonly used as primary keys for dimension tables in data warehouse designs. Our students frequently ask us – what about fact tables? Should a unique surrogate key be assigned for every row in a fact table? Although for the logical design of a fact table, the answer is no, […]

We are firm believers in the principle that business requirements drive the data model. Occasionally, we’ll work with an organization that needs to analyze Type 2 changes in a dimension. They need to answer questions like “How many customers moved last year?”, or “How many new customers did we get by month?” which can be difficult with the […]