Research And Development Of Data Warehouse Front-end Tools

The rapid development and wide use of computer network and database technology have brought enterprise management into a new epoch. Involving the fiercely competing and diversified market economy, managers at different levels have to make their decisions in time and in place. Data warehouse is such a technology that helps the managers make their decisions. Among the data warehouse system, the foreground tool faces users directly. Hence its validity, comprehensive capability and operating capability do great influence on reliability and comprehensive capability of information, and also on the use and popularization of data warehouse. Generally, there are three kinds of foreground tools, OLAP, DSS and DM. The valuable information that is contained in the data warehouse can be obtained by a foreground tool only when it includes all of these three kinds of tools. But there still has not been such a kind of tool. Aimed at changing this situation, the paper provides a solution that integrates the OLAP, DSS and DM system into a single system, which are independent before. Firstly, it clarifies such cognition as follow: the users of DSS and DM should not only include the top decision-makers but also include the base executives. Secondly, it gives an opening foreground tool based on Windows+SQL SERVER platform, which can use the OLAP, DSS and DM in a single interface. For the sake of improving the scalability of this system, two ways have been taken during designing; One is that all of the key components are encapsulated into separate ActiveX DLL components, which are designed with the COM standard made by Microsoft Co. Another one is that an opening interface and corresponding interface standard have been offered to make the function expansion by users or the third parts enabled. Because the system given hereby is based on relatively cheaper Microsoft platform, managers at every level can enjoy the advantages brought by the data warehouse. At the same time it increases the utility of data warehouse, and it is also convenient for the vast users of medium and small enterprises in China.