The Commerce Server Data Warehouse is a central repository of relevant electronic commerce and click-stream information. The Data Warehouse is populated through a set of processes that import and maintain data in a combination of a Microsoft SQL Server™ database and an online analytical processing (OLAP) database. The Data Warehouse imports a large amount of site usage data collected from different data sources. This data is gathered from the Web server logs, the Commerce Server databases (profiles, catalogs, campaigns, and transactions), and other data sources that you specify. The Data Warehouse then manages the data in the SQL Server and OLAP databases. These databases are then used to produce reports and to analyze and view population segments.
The Data Warehouse is designed to support robust query and analysis. The Analysis modules in Commerce Server Business Desk are used to analyze the data in the Data Warehouse—for example, to identify user trends or to analyze the effectiveness of a campaign—and then update your site to target content to specific user groups or to sell specific products. This "Closed Loop" feature can provide effective feedback to the site.
The Data Warehouse combines data from multiple sources into one common structure, giving the data consistency for producing reports and analyzing and viewing population segments. This structure is called the Commerce Server Business Analytics System. Business analytics is a way of looking at your Web site data to answer specific questions about the performance of your Web site. You can use the information provided by business analytics to improve your customer service, target content to users, improve site performance, and so on.
Included in this document:
- Background Overview of Technical Concepts
- Sample Scenario Definition and Design
- Development Steps