ABSTRACT
The whole point of the Alpha version is to have some form of the data warehouse available almost immediately upon starting the implementation project. Previous chapters have looked at getting the database up and running, as well as identifying and analyzing some of the initial data to be loaded. The only thing remaining is to implement the code for actually loading those data into our preliminary database. Because the database design is extremely generic, it won’t take a lot of complicated distinct code. We’re not trying to prepare a production-ready version at this point, so we will take some coding shortcuts, but the algorithm for quick loading is simple enough to repeatedly clone the same code for each source we want to load in this version. Most of the learning occurs with the earliest sources, and the subsequent Alpha sources help us refine our understanding. The Alpha warehouse should be available for querying within days, within the first week of the project for the earliest sources, and the first month for the rest.
