SSWelcome to my expert channel on large scale data warehousing! When a data warehouse operation grows large and complex, whether from the size and complexity of the data or from the size and complexity of the workload, those who manage it and rely upon it face distinctive issues. Investments become larger and the profile of the data warehouse operation rises within the enterprise. All the familiar issues - performance, scalability, availability, manageability - become more complex, more demanding, more expensive. Architectural and engineering decisions take on greater importance. And the business risks can become formidable.

In this channel, I'll be discussing and analyzing what's going on in the industry with respect to large scale data warehousing to create a resource to the community in this area. This analysis will range over products, technology, user requirements, practices and a host of related matters. I'll be discussing the differences in product capabilities and architectures that make the difference as scale and complexity increase.

From developments all around us, one thing is certain: data warehouses are not getting any smaller. In fact they are growing rapidly in every dimension. For that reason, I believe the issues of large scale data warehousing will affect you more every day. Whether you are a data warehouse professional, a user, a sponsoring executive or just curious on the subject, I'll share my interest and my knowledge with you. And, through the publications and resources in this channel, I'll provide you with practical know-how that can help you with the challenges ahead.

Richard is an internationally known industry expert in large scale data management technology, architecture and implementation with over twenty-five years of experience. As President of WINTERCORP, a consulting firm in Waltham, MA,  he advises executives on their strategies and critical projects, focusing on data warehousing. 

Editor's note: More articles, resources, news and events are available in Richard Winter's Expert Channel for the Business Intelligence Network. Be sure to visit today!