Enterprise Data Warehouse
An Enterprise Data Warehouse (EDW) is a centralized repository that integrates data from multiple disparate sources across an organization to support business intelligence, analytics, and reporting. It stores historical and current data in a structured format, enabling consistent, reliable access for decision-making. EDWs typically use a schema-based design (like star or snowflake schemas) to optimize query performance for analytical workloads.
Developers should learn about EDWs when building or maintaining systems for large-scale data analysis, regulatory compliance, or enterprise reporting, as they provide a single source of truth for business data. Use cases include financial reporting, customer analytics, and operational dashboards, where data consistency and integration from sources like CRM, ERP, and transactional databases are critical. It's essential for roles in data engineering, business intelligence, or data architecture to ensure scalable and governed data access.