Virtual Data Cube
Virtual data cubes are multiple existing cubes that merge into one logical construct. This allows dimension and measurements to be analyzed through single, virtual cube. As a result, the user can statistically correlate and analyze between the data. For example, ski resort records the daily temperature and sales on different data cubes. A virtual data cube would allow the users to see how strong of a correlation the two have. Virtual data cubes provide many benefits for the user. Since they are combinations of existing cubes, they do not require much storage space. In addition, they provide a unique security by preventing unauthorized users viewing sensitive information. Non-sensitive information is available in the virtual data cube, while sensitive information remains in the existing cube – allowing only authorized users to view it. Unlike normal data cubes, virtual cubes have no dimension limit.
Virtual data cubes builds on dimensional modeling topic, since they originate from the data cubes we learned in MIS 2502. Similarly, they can be used for data mining models. Both have the same objective; create an analytical data tool by extracting relevant data from a transactional database. However data cubes are made up from facts and dimensions, while virtual data cubes is a logical constructs of these facts.
This is a useful tool to companies. The NNEW Program shows how useful virtual data cubes are. It provides users weather information that is distributed among a wide variety of source. This program, called Four-Dimensional Weather Data Cube (4-D Wx Data Cube), stores four key information, one for each dimension. It records longitude, latitude, altitude, and time. The NNEW Program contains a given location’s weather over a period of time. It is hosted by National Weather Service, the Department of Defense, the Federal Aviation Administration, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration, and other commercial data vendors. It gives these users the overall centralized weather picture. The main use of this virtual data cube allows users to make air traffic management decision in civil airspace.
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Rouse, Margaret. “virtual cube.” SearchDataManagement. April 2012. Web. 4 May 2014. <http://searchdatamanagement.techtarget.com/definition/virtual-cube>.
Tennant, Daniel. “The 4-D WX Data Cube.” University Corporation for Atmospheric Research (UCAR) and Massachusetts Institute of Technology Lincoln Laboratory (MIT/LL). 22 February 2011. Web. 4 May 2014. <https://wiki.ucar.edu/display/NNEWD/The+4-D+Wx+Data+Cube>.