OLAP, Data Warehouse, Data Mart, Three-tier, and ASP

OLAP, Data Warehouse, Data Mart, Three-tier, and ASP all have one thing in common. They all deal with databases and how the data is accessed. OLAP is short for Online Analytical Processing, a category of software tools that provides analysis of data stored in a database. OLAP tools enable users to analyze different dimensions of multidimensional data. For example, it provides time series and trend analysis views. OLAP often is used in data mining. The …

…called the database server. ASP is short for Application Service Provider, a third-party entity that manages and distributes software-based services and solutions to customers across a wide area network from a central data center. In essence, ASPs are a way for companies to outsource some or almost all aspects of their information technology needs. They may be commercial ventures that cater to customers, or not-for-profit or government organizations, providing service and support to end users.