Postgresql & OLAP

Someone from airport asked me a question. "Could postgresql provide OLAP function?".

Here is my answer:

PostgreSQL is not a 'concept'. It is simply another implementation of a relational DBMS according to the SQL standard. In that sense, it is very much like Oracle, SQL Server, or DB2. Asking whether PostgreSQL can 'do' OLAP is like asking whether PostgreSQL can do your accounting data, or sales statistics. The answer is "of course, if you design your database structure accordingly". The only case where OLAP might not work is if you have some specific OLAP software that only works with a certain DBMS.

So PostgreSQL itself is not really the issue. The real issue is how you use it, and what tools you want to use. In order to do what you want, you need to learn relational database fundamentals, and then understand how that relates to your OLAP needs. As I understand it, most OLAP tools can work with any standard SQL-oriented DBMS, as long as they can connect to it. For example, if your OLAP tool is built in Java, you will want to set up JDBC drivers for PostgreSQL, and if your OLAP tools run with .NET software, then you will need to set up ODBC or the .NET data provider drivers for PostgreSQL. So the answer is: its all in how you use it.

知识最好别是支离破碎的

如题。

但是如何融会贯通，我想可能通过记笔记的方式。