Updating Historical Information

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Updating Historical Information

SA-1

SSCrazy Eights

Points: 8113
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November 5, 2013 at 11:02 am

#278908

I have to create a slowly changing dimension with the caveat that any of the data attributes can change for any of the records (even the historical one's). There is a surrogate key from the source system that i could store locally but i was wondering if anyone has run in to this situation and used a different option / design.

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Antti Tikka Grasshopper Points: 12 More actions · Answer 1

I haven't implemented this kind of situation but I think that the most elegant way is to store surrogate key of the source table to data warehouse table and use this as a business key in slowly changing dimension component.

I have used surrogate key of the source table as a business key many times in different situations.

Jeff Moden SSC Guru Points: 1004415 More actions · Answer 2

SA-1 (11/5/2013)
I have to create a slowly changing dimension with the caveat that any of the data attributes can change for any of the records (even the historical one's). There is a surrogate key from the source system that i could store locally but i was wondering if anyone has run in to this situation and used a different option / design.

I'm always amazed by such things. Historical table data is NOT supposed to change. By definition, it's supposed to be historical and, therefor, never change. Changing historical information may keep your company from getting ISO, SOX, and SEC certifications and, if something really bad happens, could even land everyone involved in jail.

I strongly recommend that the company get out of the nasty habit of changing historical information whereever it is kept.

--Jeff Moden

RBAR is pronounced "ree-bar" and is a "Modenism" for Row-By-Agonizing-Row.
First step towards the paradigm shift of writing Set Based code:
________Stop thinking about what you want to do to a ROW... think, instead, of what you want to do to a COLUMN.

Change is inevitable... Change for the better is not.

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