Internet Links

Tools and Utilities

This page provides links to some useful tools and utilities from the book or other places. If you have a data warehouse-related tool or utility you are willing to share, send it to us and we'll post it on the lifecycle-toolkit web site (when we get a chance).

Readiness Litmus Test
This a spreadsheet version of the readiness test found in Chapter 3. We suggest you take this test as early as possible in the project to help highlight any potential problem areas.

Readiness Litmus Test (zipped Excel file - 18K -- Not on the CD)

Note: this file and the evaluation matrices below are zipped Excel files. You will need a file compression utility like WinZip to uncompress the files before you can view them. See the Utilities secion below for a link to WinZip.

Example Naming Conventions

Our friends at Stanford University were kind enough to allow us to use a draft copy of their data naming standards. Presented here with permission:

Data Model Naming Standards

DBA Database Naming Standards

Example Product Evaluation Matrices
The following matrices are *not* complete. They are only starting points for building an evaluation matrix that is right for your business and technical situation. At least it's a place to start.

Data Staging Tool Evaluation (zipped Excel file - 8K -- Not on the CD)
This is a bit more advanced than the one on the CD-ROM. It also makes good use of the Excel outliner to show detail or summary levels.

Ad Hoc Tool Evaluation
Not Yet Available -- We're still trying to figure out how to make this useful without misguiding folks.

Utilities

Microsoft Office Viewers
If you need viewers for any of the Microsoft Office files on this site, you can download them from Microsoft at the following site. These viewers can also be found on the CD-ROM.

Office viewers and converters

WinZip File Compression Utility
There are several compression utilities out there, but WinZip is a perennial favorite. Get an evaluation copy from their site at:

http://www.winzip.com/