1. Overview of LDB Technology and Tools
Tariqul Khan & Jose Delcour
The World Bank

2. Agenda I. Business Requirements LDB Overall Architecture
Technology used for the LDB
Data Uploading & Management
LDB Core Components
User Interface
III. LDB Lifecycle and future direction

3. Business Requirements (1/2)
Accessing latest information in format needed
Consolidating scattered & infrequently updated databases from inside & outside sources
Producing timely reports cost- effectively
Making quality data relevant to users
Solution-based cost-effective, simple, reliable & upgradeable
Open, shared and scalable architecture
Easy Installation, Administration & Maintenance
Less reliance on IT staff
Technical Overview of the 2gLDB

4. Business Requirements (2/2)
Centralized Time Series Database
High Frequency Data
Multiple Versions, Multiple Sources
Sub-National Data
Meta-data Management
Derivation & Aggregation on-the-fly
Dynamic Web & Reporting Capabilities
Automatic Updates
Ability to interfere with system (create new indicators/geography/time periods)

5. Technology Used For The LDB
Based On Microsoft Technology:
SQL Server 2000
Excel 2000/XP & VBA
Analysis Services
IIS server & IE browser
World Bank Custom libraries written in VB
ProClarity 4.0

6. II. LDB: Overall Architecture
Web Query
LDB Uploading & Managing Tools
Web Server
Query & Analysis
Data Sources
LDB Staging Area
LDB Production
Data Administration
(Quality)
Cube
Reports
Library

7. II.1. Data Uploading & Managing
Data Sources
LDB Uploading & Managing Tools
Data Administration
(Quality)
1. Sources For Data
2. Data Quality
3. Available Tools for Uploading Data

8. Sources For Data Institutional Data (e.g. CSO)
Other Agency/institution Data
Support Different Formats: Excel, ASCII, Access, SPSS, ORACLE, FTP (web), …

9. Available Tools for Data Uploading
Data Quality Checks
Excel Uploading & CLDB Tools
DTS & dbms_copy
Equation Validation

10. Excel Uploading Tool

11. Data Comparison

12. Excel Country Local Database (CLDB) Uploading Tool

13. II.2. LDB Core Components
Available Tools To Manage LDB Core Components
Data Breakdown
The Need For OLAP
The LDB Dimensions
The Functions Library
LDB Staging Area
LDB Production
Web Server
Cube
Library

14. Available Tools to Manage LDB Core
At the Database (Transactional) Level:
Custom Built Management Tool
MS-SQL Built-in Tools
At the Analytical Level:
Microsoft Analysis Services

15. Custom Built Management Tool
Live Database Management

16. Data Breakdown
50 % Raw Data
20% Derived Indicators (using custom built derivation functions)
30 % Aggregated Indicators (using custom built aggregation functions)

17. The Need for an Online Analytical & Processing (OLAP) structure
Where is the Information ?
Lost in the Data…
Where is the Data ?
Lost in the Database !

18. OLAP: Multiple Views Of The Data
Country
Periods
1965
>>>>> 2003
SNA
BoP
Money
ENV
SOC
DEBT
Topic
AFR
LAC
ECA
Dimensions: Topic, Region, Time, …
Hierarchical summarization paths

19. OLAP: Key Benefits
Databases centralization
Multidimensional view of the data
Fast access to any data.
Focus on strategic information (analysis, data mining, neural networks)
Independent of the RDBMS
Scalable solution

20. OLAP: The LDB Dimensions
Geography: Region, country, sub-national
Time: Year, Half-Yearly, Quarter, Month, Week, Day
Indicators: By CETS, By Description, By Topic
Source
Version
Owner
Note: Not all the dimensions add up along the hierarchies !!!

21. Time, Indicator, Geography, …

22. … Source, Owner, Version

23. Example: Per Capita GDP for 4 Countries, for [1990, 1999]

24. List of some of the 82 library functions
Library written in Visual Basic: open architecture

25. II.3. User Interface Available Tools for User Interface Web Query
Reports, Pub.
Query & Analysis
Available Tools for User Interface

26. Available Tools for Output, Analysis & Dissemination
Web:
Web Reporting Tool
Reports:
Statistical Publications
CD-ROMs
Briefings
Ad-hoc Reports
Canned Reports
LDB Reporting Tool (OLTP & OLAP)
Analysis:
ProClarity 4.0

28. LDB Reporting Tool

33. Canned Report

34. Macro Economic Profiles

35. III. The LDB Lifecycle: what’s next ?
Project Lifecycle: 6-8 years;
Technology evolving with new standards: XML, SOAP, UDDI (web services), Java, XDR (semantic web), .NET, DSO.NET,
Open access to disparate databases/data warehouses across the web using different structures;
What about micro data ???
→ Development Data Project (DDP)

36. The LDB Lifecycle: what’s next ?
XML
Survey Data

37. The LDB Lifecycle: what’s next ?
DDP Will:
Focus on both Bank internal & external client needs;
Use the SAME database structure;
Be OLAP based;
Integrate most custom functionalities (e.g. Proclarity)
Have new Web & Excel based interface;
House the Current LDB components under a wider umbrella.

38. Q & A