Online Transactional Processing (OLTP) server supports online transactions specifically insert, delete, and update. OLTP servers are designed to provide fast query processing to the database whilst maintaining the integrity of the data. OLTP servers are suitable for day-today operations. On the other hand, Online Analytical Processing (OLAP) servers are designed to analyze data in a particular database. OLAP servers are characterized by low volume complex queries that involve aggregation. OLAP servers are suitable for processes that require analysis of huge volumes of data.
For each of the following processes, state whether OLTP or OLAP is appropriate and why.
An order entry system that retrieves customer information, invoice information, and inventory information for local sales.
The transactional nature of an OLTP server would make it suitable because the process requires a fast querying into the database.
An order entry system that retrieves customer information, invoice information, inventory information, and several years of sales information about both the customer and the inventory items.
Since the process requires the retrieval of historical nature and an analysis of the customer and inventory items, an OLAP server would be appropriate.
An order entry system that retrieves customer information, invoice information, inventory information, and information to compare the current sale to sales across several geographic regions.
Because the database must be capable of comparing sales across several geographic regions an OLAP server, that is capable of conducting complex queries and analysis would be suitable.
An order entry system that retrieves customer information, invoice information, inventory information, and accounts receivable information for sales within one marketing region.
The database is transactional in nature supporting the basic functions of update, insert and delete, then an OLTP server would be appropriate.
An insurance company requires a system that will allow it to determine total claims by region, determine whether a relationship exists between claims and meteorological phenomenon, and why one region seems to be more profitable than another.
An OLAP server will be suitable because it is capable of analyzing the data in the database and establish whether there exists a relationship between claims and meteorological phenomenon.
A manufacturing company has only one factory, but that factory employs several thousand people and has nearly $1 billion in revenue each year. The company has seen no reason to make comparisons about its operations from year to year or from process to process. Its information needs focus primarily on operations, but it has maintained backup of prior-year operations activities. Examination of prior-year financial reports have shown that the company, while profitable, is not growing and return on investment is decreasing. The owners are not satisfied with this situation.
Since the manufacturing company already has a database of past information, they will need an OLAP server that will enable them to make comparisons from year- to-year and from processes to process.
