Which of the following operations is outside the scope of a Business Intelligence (BI) reporting system that reads from data warehouses and data marts? Select the single best answer.

Difficulty: Easy

Correct Answer: Modify data

Explanation:


Introduction / Context:
BI reporting systems are primarily read-oriented: they aggregate, filter, and present data for decision-making. Distinguishing read-only operations from write operations helps maintain data integrity in analytical stores.



Given Data / Assumptions:

  • Source: data warehouse/mart optimized for reads.
  • BI reports perform queries and aggregations.
  • No transactional updates should occur from the reporting layer.


Concept / Approach:

Reporting tools run SELECT queries with filters, groups, and calculations. Data modification (INSERT/UPDATE/DELETE) belongs to ETL/ELT processes, data quality operations, or transactional systems—not to end-user reporting interfaces.



Step-by-Step Solution:

1) Identify read operations: filtering, grouping, aggregating, sorting.2) Identify write operations: modifying persisted data.3) Match the reporting role: read-only, hence modifying data is out of scope.


Verification / Alternative check:

Enterprise BI platforms enforce read-only connections to warehouses in production; write access is restricted to ETL or admin roles.



Why Other Options Are Wrong:

Filter: core reporting function. Group: essential for aggregates. “Both filter and group” contradicts BI purpose.



Common Pitfalls:

Allowing ad-hoc users write permissions to analytics stores; mixing OLTP updates with analytical schemas (star/snowflake models).



Final Answer:

Modify data

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