What is the primary role of data warehousing?

The primary role of data warehousing is to store and manage large volumes of data from different sources for analysis. A data warehouse consolidates data from various operational systems into a single repository, allowing organizations to perform comprehensive analysis and reporting. This consolidation supports business intelligence activities, enabling organizations to make informed decisions based on historical and aggregated data.

Data warehousing systems are designed specifically for query and analysis rather than transaction processing, distinguishing them from database systems that handle real-time transactional data. The architecture and design of a data warehouse facilitate efficient data retrieval and support complex queries that help organizations derive insights from their data.

In this context, the focus is on creating an environment where data can be extracted from multiple sources, transformed for consistency and relevance, and then loaded into the warehouse, making it available for analytical processing.