The components that go into the making of a miniature data warehouse are:

• Mobile storage device (preferable with a USB port/interface)
• OS virtualization software for the mobile storage device
• Database management system to be installed and run in the virtualized OS environment
• Business intelligence tools and technologies to be installed and run in the virtualized OS environment
• Host computer with a USB port/interface or a high-end mobile phone with a USB port/interface

Shown below in Figure A is the concept connectivity between the various components of a miniaturized data warehouse system.

FIGURE A


Here's how all the parts could work together. Roll over picture for a larger image.

Let's briefly discuss the various components in the above mentioned concept connectivity for a miniaturized data warehouse system. There are three sub-groups of components in this miniaturized data warehouse system:

• The mobile storage device which mainly hosts the miniature data warehouse.
• The host PC or high-end mobile phone which contains the hardware resources that are used by the mobile storage device for processing and display.
• A USB interface or USB port, the interface that is used to communicate with the other devices.

The mobile storage device can be any mobile storage device like USB flash drive, USB hard drive, or even an iPod or high-end mobile phone with memory storage capacities. On it, you'll want the following elements

OS virtualization layer
This is the virtual OS which runs on the mobile storage devices. These are readily available in the market, which mainly run Windows compatible applications. This virtual OS can create a virtual workspace that can sit SxS (side by side) with the host workspace in an isolated mode.

DBMS
This can be a lightweight database capable of handling up to 100GB of data (or more). This DBMS will have to be installed in the the virtualized OS environment and will host the post-processed data warehouse data that is personalized for a specific user.

Business intelligence applications
Business intelligence applications will have to be installed in the same virtualized OS environment as the DBMS. The business intelligence applications will host the business intelligence reports, which connect to the DBMS in the same virtualized environment.

Storage area
The DBMS and business intelligence applications will use this storage area on the mobile storage device, for storing data, files, configuration details, registry details, and more.

Virtualized mobile storage device
The combination of the mobile storage device mentioned above, the virtualized OS, and the storage area, will together provide a virtualized PC environment and the device is now transformed into a virtualized mobile storage device.

The core of the miniature data warehouse system resides in this virtualized PC environment and it is this virtualized PC environment that primarily makes the miniaturized data warehouse highly mobile and hardware agnostic.