Development of Data Warehouse Conceptual Models: Method Engineering Approach

AbstrAct There BLOCKINare BLOCKINmany BLOCKINmethods BLOCKINin BLOCKINthe BLOCKINarea BLOCKINof BLOCKINdata BLOCKINwarehousing BLOCKINto BLOCKINdefine BLOCKINrequirements BLOCKINfor BLOCKINthe BLOCKINdevelopment BLOCKINof the most appropriate conceptual model of a data warehouse. There is no universal consensus about the best method, nor are there accepted standards for the conceptual modeling of data warehouses. Only few conceptual models have formally described methods how to get these models. Therefore, problems arise when in a particular data warehousing project, an appropriate development approach, and a corresponding method for the requirements elicitation, should be chosen and applied. Sometimes it is also necessary not only to use the existing methods, but also to provide new methods that are usable in particular development situations. It is necessary to represent these new methods formally, to ensure the appropriate BLOCKINusage BLOCKINof BLOCKINthese BLOCKINmethods BLOCKINin BLOCKINsimilar BLOCKINsituations BLOCKINin BLOCKINthe BLOCKINfuture. BLOCKINIt BLOCKINis BLOCKINalso BLOCKINnecessary BLOCKINto BLOCKINdefine BLOCKINthe Development of Data Warehouse Conceptual Models contingency factors, which describe the situation where the method is usable.This chapter represents the usage of method engineering approach for the development of conceptual models of data warehouses. A set of contingency factors that determine the choice between the usage of an existing method and the necessity BLOCKINto BLOCKINdevelop BLOCKINa BLOCKINnew BLOCKINone BLOCKINis BLOCKINdefined. BLOCKINThree BLOCKINcase BLOCKINstudies BLOCKINare BLOCKINpresented. BLOCKINThree BLOCKINnew BLOCKINmethods: BLOCKINuser-driven, data-driven, and goal-driven are developed according to the situation in the particular projects and using the method engineering approach.