Final answer:
The question requires creating a data warehouse schema for analyzing book sales and authors' revenues over time with a particular emphasis on a Star or Constellation Schema which includes a Fact Table, Book Dimension, Author Dimension, and a Calendar Dimension.
Step-by-step explanation:
The student's question pertains to the design of a data warehouse schema for analyzing book sales and revenue data by author and by month. In the context of data warehousing, a Star Schema or Constellation Schema should be established which consist of a central fact table and surrounding dimension tables, including a calendar table.
Star Schema Design for Book Sales and Revenue
- Fact Table: Records transactions with fields for Book ID, Author ID, Date Key (linking to Calendar Dimension), Revenue, and Number of Books Sold.
- Book Dimension: Contains Book ID, Book Name, Genre, Publication Date, etc.
- Author Dimension: Includes Author ID, Author Name, Country, Birthdate, etc.
- Calendar Dimension: Has Date Key, Month, Quarter, Year, etc., to allow analysis over time.
This structure enables queries to aggregate sales and revenue information across various dimensions such as time periods, individual books, or authors. Adequate indexing and query optimization strategies will be essential for ensuring efficient data retrieval from this schema.