DW 2.0: The Architecture for the Next Generation of Data Warehousing is the first book on the new generation of data warehouse architecture, DW 2.0, by the father of the data warehouse. The book describes the future of data warehousing that is technologically possible today, at both an architectural level and technology level. The perspective of the book is from the top looking at the overall architecture and then delving into the issues underlying the components. This allows people who are building or using a data warehouse to see what lies ahead and determine what new technology to buy, how to plan extensions to the data warehouse, what can be salvaged from the current system, and how to justify the expense at the most practical level. This book gives experienced data warehouse professionals everything they need in order to implement the new generation DW 2.0. It is designed for professionals in the IT organization, including data architects, DBAs, systems design and development professionals, as well as data warehouse and knowledge management professionals.
William H. Inmon is an American computer scientist, recognized by many as the father of the data warehouse. Inmon wrote the first book, held the first conference (with Arnie Barnett), wrote the first column in a magazine and was the first to offer classes in data warehousing. Inmon created the accepted definition of what a data warehouse is - a subject-oriented, non-volatile, integrated, time-variant collection of data in support of management's decisions. Compared with the approach of the other pioneering architect of data warehousing, Ralph Kimball, Inmon's approach is often characterized as a top-down approach.
While the concepts were timely at time of publication, the presentation leaves much to be desired. Especially the horizontally stacked block diagrams defy imtuitive interpretation.