What Is a Data Warehouse?
A data warehouse is a centralized repository designed to store structured data, typically optimized for querying and reporting. Unlike data lakes, which handle raw and unprocessed data, data warehouses organize data into predefined schemas, making it readily accessible for business intelligence tools and decision-making processes. Data is often cleaned, transformed, and loaded into the warehouse using ETL (Extract, Transform, Load) processes, ensuring high data quality and consistency. Data warehouses are ideal for historical analysis, trend identification, and generating detailed reports, playing a key role in strategic planning and operational insights across organizations.