Questions About Our New Course - Data Modeling

Pragmatic Works new course, Data Modeling, is designed for individuals who are in the process of designing new databases, particularly transactional databases and data warehouse systems. This course is taught by one of our experts on data modeling, Mitchell Pearson. Here, Mitchell answers a few questions about the course:

1. Why is it important to learn data modeling?

Data modeling is important to learn so you will know about consequences that you may run into when designing both transactional systems and dimensional warehouses. For example, maybe the dimensional model doesn’t provide all the answers to questions you wanted to ask the data when you had the design in mind.

This course will specifically go through the 4 steps of dimensional modeling, so you’ll know how to avoid these problems and not have to go back and redesign the model.

2. What level would you say this class is?

This six-and-a-half-hour course will start with the basics and then dive deep into more advanced concepts by the end.

3. What are the top 5 takeaways from the data modeling class?

• How to properly design a transactional database in 3^rd normal form.
• How to properly define what the business processes are that we want to model for.
• Dimension design – How to design both common and more complex dimensions.
• How to model more complex relationships like many to many or parent-child relationships.
• Fact table design – How to design transactional, perodic and accumulating snapshot. 

4. What area do most people struggle with when designing a dimensional model?

Most people struggle with defining the granularity at the start of the design phase. When you don’t design the granularity properly from the beginning, then you realize it’s not correct as you get to the next steps. This will send you back to the drawing board.

5. What does this course offer that you can’t find anywhere else?

As with all Pragmatic Works courses, the Data Modeling course offers a depth that most courses do not. This course runs over 6 hours; allowing time to go into more detail and more in depth into concepts.

If data modeling is new to you or maybe you’re self-taught and need to affirm the concepts you’re implementing are correct, then this course is for you. Click below to sign up for a free trial.