Overview of Data Administration
The University of Toledo's Data Administration is an environment that brings together strategic data from multiple enterprise systems in order to facilitate ad-hoc and cross-application reporting. Systems in Data Administration include the following systems or sub-systems; Banner Finance, Lawson, Financial Aid, Student Records, Admissions, Student Accounts, and Housing.
The data in our database servers are generally copies of the enterprise data reformatted to facilitate querying of the data. The data is typically refreshed each night via batch jobs meaning the data is as of the end of the previous business day. Data that is copied and completely refreshed each night with no time element is generally referred to as the Operational Data Store (ODS). Data that contains a time element and can be referenced as of a point in time, and includes transformations to derive common business logic is referred to as a Data Warehouse.
Currently, in our database environment, all of our systems are Operational Data Stores except for the University developed Institutional Analysis System (IAS). The IAS is considered a Data Warehouse for student related information. See http://institutional_research.utoledo.edu/ias.asp for additional information about the system.
Operational Data Store (ODS)
ODS is a database designed for queries on transactional data. An ODS is often an interim or staging area for a data warehouse, bolt-ons, or other 3rd party applications, but differs in that its contents are updated on a regular basis. An ODS is designed for performance and numerous queries on small amounts of data such as an account balance.
ODS versus DW at UT
The only Data Warehouse system that exists at UT is the Institutional Analysis System (IAS) for student and course related data. IAS is derived from the SCT Plus Student ODS. All other database information are in our Operational Data Stores. For our current legacy SCT Plus systems, we have developed in-house extracts to MS SQL Server databases. As Banner modules are implemented, we will install and configure each module’s pre-delivered ODS in an Oracle database environment.
Report Libraries
Data can be accessed university-wide using common workstation tools such as Microsoft Access or Crystal Reports. Our reporting strategy consists of a "Data Warehouse Portal". These "portals" are simply centrally managed report libraries; in which key departmental business analysts store queries and reports. Any authorized user can run these reports throughout the day and the results can be viewed electronically or printed on your printer. Nothing more is required than a double click of your mouse to obtain immediate results.
Getting Access
Any university departmental staff member may request access to the data in an Operational Data Store (ODS) or Data Warehouse, or access to a report library with appropriate Director or Dean level approval. For each access form, acquire all necessary signatures, and then forward the form to the appropriate system administrator. The system administrator will forward the application to the appropriate data warehouse personnel and we will notify you by e-mail that your account is ready. Incomplete applications will be sent back to the user. For Operational Data Store or Data Warehouse access, once you receive a confirmation e-mail, you can install the client software yourself or you may schedule an appointment with your EIT desktop support person to install it. Instructions to install the software yourself may be found below. You must have a UTAD domain account to access the data. Visit the IT Forms page for account access forms and How2: online help to view online documentation.
Frequently Asked Questions
ODS Training and User Group Information
Contact Information
For questions about data warehousing at the University of Toledo, contact Dominic D'Emilio, associate director, at 419.530.3673, or Tom Derby, database administrator, at 419.530.3559.