In Enterprise Data Warehousing, what best defines reconciled data (the enterprise, current, integrated layer used to feed downstream analytics)?
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AData stored in the various operational systems throughout the organization.
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BCurrent data intended to be the single source for all decision support systems.
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CData stored in one operational system in the organization.
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DData that has been selected and formatted for end-user support applications.
Answer
Correct Answer: Current data intended to be the single source for all decision support systems.
Explanation
Introduction / Context:Reconciled data sits at the heart of an enterprise data warehouse. It is the “single version of the truth,” integrated from multiple sources and structured to drive consistent analytics across departments.
Given Data / Assumptions:
- Operational systems are numerous and heterogeneous.
- Reconciled data is cleansed, conformed, and current (or near real-time as designed).
- Downstream data marts and semantic layers derive from this store.
Concept / Approach:Reconciled data is the enterprise-integrated, current-level data that serves as the authoritative input for BI/analytics. It differs from raw operational data (still siloed) and from presentation-layer data (curated/aggregated for end users).
Step-by-Step Solution:
Eliminate options that refer to isolated operational stores.Eliminate options that refer to end-user formatted subsets (data marts).Select the definition that matches enterprise, integrated, current source for DSS.Verification / Alternative check:Most DW reference architectures (hub-and-spoke or centralized EDW) place reconciled/conformed data before marts.
Why Other Options Are Wrong:
- A and C: operational data, not reconciled.
- D: describes data marts or presentation-layer structures.
Common Pitfalls:Confusing “current” with “transactional”; reconciled stores may also keep limited history, but the key is integration and conformance.
Final Answer:Current data intended to be the single source for all decision support systems.