A method for the mapping of conceptual designs to logical blueprints for ETL processes

Extraction–Transformation–Loading (ETL) tools are pieces of software responsible for the extraction of data from several sources, their cleansing, customization and insertion into a data warehouse. In previous work, we presented a modeling framework for ETL processes comprised of a conceptual model that concretely deals with the early stages of a data warehouse project, and a logical model that deals with the definition of data-centric workflows. In this paper, we describe the mapping of the conceptual model to the logical model. First, we identify how conceptual entities are mapped to logical entities. Next, we determine the execution order in the logical workflow using information adapted from the conceptual model. Finally, we provide a method for the transition from the conceptual model to the logical model. © 2006 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.