Set Data Warehouse Settings

Classic View: System Administration > Data Utilities > Data Warehouse Settings

Search Terms: Data Warehouse

The standard Data Warehouse Settings module contains two tools that allow management of standard data warehouse functionality.

Standard Data Warehouse Tools

The standard data warehouse tool is a read-only database that allows optimized access to data for reporting and analysis purposes. The data warehouse periodically flattens views from the live, production database and stores them as part of a backup that can be accessed by reporting tools.

Use of the data warehouse allows a district/state to materialize views into tables, simplify joins, and improve overall reporting and database performance. Views can be easily added or excluded as desired through use of the Data Options tool.

Data Sources in Ad hoc Reporting

PATH: Ad Hoc Reporting > Filter Designer

A System Preference, called Data Source for Ad hoc, determines whether Ad hoc tools (Filter Designer, Letter Builder, Data Export and Data Analysis) query and report data from the latest Data Warehouse backup or the Live Site.

Reporting through the Data Warehouse pulls data from a separate server specifically optimized for reporting. This eliminates slow report generation and prevents disruption of the production site usage.

Data Source for Ad hoc System Preference

When data warehousing is enabled, the reporting tools will display the timestamp of the most recent data warehouse backup from which data will be pulled. 

Data Source Options in Ad hoc Reporting (no access to live database)

The reporting tools still allows the live database to be selected as the data source, as long as the user has the proper tool rights. If a user has tool rights that grant him/her the ability to choose to report from the data warehouse backup OR the live database, the Data Source field will be shown. A user can choose the data warehouse backup or the "Live" option to pull directly from the live, production database instead.

Data Source Options in Ad hoc Reporting (access to live database as source)

The user must have access to the Allow Live Data As a Source tool right to see/access the Data Source field (see Ad hoc Reporting Tool Rights below).

Tool Rights

PATH: System Administration > User Security > Users/User Groups > Tool Rights

Assigning the proper tool rights to users is imperative in keeping information safe and confidential. A limited number of users should have access to the data warehouse and related reporting tools.

A Campus system administrator will automatically have access to the data warehouse and reporting options if the All Tools checkbox is flagged on his/her User account.

Data Warehouse Settings Tool Rights

For full access to the data warehouse tool, a user will need full rights (RWAD) to the System Administration > Data Utilities > Data Warehouse Settings tool right. Granting full rights to this tool right will also grant full rights to the Refresh Settings and Data Options sub-rights/tools).

  • Refresh Settings sub-right: This controls access to the Refresh Settings tab which allows scheduling and configuration of the data warehouse backup process.
  • Data Options sub-right: This controls access to the Data Options tab which allows a user to add/remove the individual database views included in the data warehouse backup.

System Administration > Data Utilities > Data Warehouse Settings

Task Scheduler Tool Rights

The user will see that a data warehouse task exists as a scheduled task in the Task Scheduler if he/she has RWAD rights to the System Administration > Preferences > Task Scheduler tool right.

System Administration > Preferences > Task Scheduler

The data warehouse cannot be configured or scheduled within the Task Scheduler, despite tool rights to this area.

Ad hoc Reporting Tool Rights

When the data warehouse is enabled on a site, it becomes the default data source for all ad hoc reporting, unless a user otherwise selects the "Live" option of the Data Source field of a reporting tool. The user will need R rights to the Data Warehouse: Allow Live Data As Source sub-right for each reporting tool in which he/she should have the ability to select the "Live" database option from the Data Source field.

Ad hoc Reporting Tool Rights

This sub-right is not applicable to the Letter Designer tool.