Why Use the Data Warehouse?

Ease, speed, reliability and flexibility.

The Data Warehouse is the only site at MIT which combines information from different, separate systems in one location. Because the information is stored together, it is easy to access. Data in the Warehouse comes from a number of sources on campus.

The Data Warehouse is a read-only database which guarantees its stability over time. Data is loaded nightly from the data providers. Unlike interactive systems, there is no possibility of "breaking" the data in the Warehouse. This frees you to experiment in creating your reports. The Data Warehouse staff is very eager to assist you in all your reporting needs, whether that means familiarizing your staff with our collection of downloadable reports or creating a custom report just for you.

Advantages of using the Warehouse as a reporting tool are clear. The Data Warehouse tables are specifically designed for quick response time. Even reports requesting a large number of rows are usually returned in a few minutes. If your duties require that you handle large quantities of data, the Warehouse may be the best reporting tool for you.

Data from the Data Warehouse is brought to your desktop by a query tool; BrioQuery is the software most often used at MIT. Once the data is stored locally (in your computer) you may format it to your liking and create a myriad of different reports. Or, you can export the results of your query into other software programs, such as Microsoft Excel, and manipulate the data locally. Your results may also be joined with local information from your own files. This is very useful for instances when you need to create custom reports with information that is not stored in any of MIT's current systems.

BrioQuery is a particularly effective tool because formatting is saved in your report, even if you reuse the report from month to month or semester to semester. Once you have created a report, you no longer need to spend time formatting your data; instead you can spend time analyzing it! In addition to reporting, the Data Warehouse is used to relay data between different systems at MIT. The possibility exists to use the Warehouse as a storehouse to help you get or move your data between systems.

The Data Warehouse team is always ready to help you explore the many exciting possibilities of reporting using the Warehouse. Contact us at warehouse@mit.edu for more information.