Chapter 11 -- Using Microsoft English Query to Query Warehouse Data

Chapter 11

About This Chapter

As discussed earlier in this book, data warehouses exist to help users ask questions of an organization s data. One of the major challenges with all effective data warehouse implementations is selecting an application that allows end users to ask questions of the data in a manner that is easy for them and without having to learn the details of SQL queries.

Microsoft English Query is a sophisticated technology that allows you to build applications that support natural-language queries. Although Microsoft English Query can be used in environments other than data warehousing, it provides a powerful tool for developing applications that allow users to interact with the data in a data warehouse in a familiar way, asking questions in the same language that they would use when communicating with a person.

Before You Begin

To complete the lessons in this chapter, you must

• Have installed SQL Server 7.0, SQL Server OLAP Services, and Microsoft English Query.



• Have installed the Exercise files from the Supplemental Course Materials CD-ROM to your hard disk drive. See the "Getting Started" section in "About This Book" for installation instructions.
• Be able to log in to SQL Server as SA with no password.

NOTE

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Use of a different password or other logons with sysadmin permissions will function properly, but some scripts in the exercises will need to be modified accordingly.

• Have completed the exercises in Chapter 8, "Advanced DTS" to create and populate the Northwind_Mart data warehouse database. If you have not created the Northwind_Mart database, you can execute the C:\SQLDW\Exercise\Ch08\MakeMart.BAT batch file to create and populate the database. You cannot perform the exercises in this chapter if you have not created and populated the Northwind_Mart database.
• Have installed Internet Information Server 4.0 or later if you want to complete the ASP application exercise in Lesson 3.