Data warehouses are the primary means by which businesses can gain competitive advantage through analyzing and using the information stored in their computerized systems. However, the data warehousing market is inundated with confusing, often contradictory, technical information from suppliers of hardware, databases and tools. Data Warehousing in the Real World provides comprehensive guidelines and techniques for the delivery of decision support solutions using open-systems data warehouses. Written by practitioners for practitioners, Data Warehousing in the Real World describes each stage of the implementation process in detail: from project planning and requirements analysis, through architecture and design to administrative issues such as user access, security, backup and recovery.