An Overview of Testing Data Warehouses

Today's data warehouse systems and BI reports are complex, often with heterogeneous data from a large variety of sources. Planning for such data intensive tests is complex, requires exceptional human and technical resources but is never-the-less vital for data quality and the overall success of your project. How to achieve the desired success? Through test planning that includes a study of technical artifacts such as data models, business rules, data mapping documents, and data warehouse (DWH) loading design logic. Take away from this session, DWH planning checklists, a test plan outline, concepts for data profiling and methods for data verification. Carefully qualifying testing staff with the needed skills is a high priority. Wayne demonstrates how to effectively plan and generate a test strategy to discover empty data and BI report fields, missing records, truncated data, duplicate records, incorrectly applied business rules, all of which can dramatically impact the quality of the data warehouse. You learn common pitfalls when data warehouse test planning shortcuts are taken or not considered... all of which can cost your business hundreds of thousands of dollars and more. If you work in an environment that often assigns data testing to a QA team without proper planning and technical skills, this session is for you.