Data Mining

Data mining tools are used to retrieve information from data warehouses. There are three basic types of data mining tools:

• Query-and-reporting tools are similar to query and report generators for standard databases
• Intelligent agents can sort data on their own and find relationships between data
• Multidimensional analysis tools display a three-dimensional set of records that can be viewed in multiple ways

There are many ways to retrieve information from a data warehouse. Simple query-and-reporting tools can be used to return data in the same way as from a standard database. Intelligent agents can sift through the data on their own initiative, looking for trends and relationships within the data. Multidimensional analysis tools can be used to present multiple views or 'slices' of the same body of data.