An Operational Data Store (ODS) is a type of database that's often used as an interim logical area for a data warehouse. ODSes are designed to integrate data from multiple sources for lightweight data processing activities such as operational reporting and real-time analysis.
While in the ODS, data can be scrubbed, resolved for redundancy and checked for compliance with the corresponding business rules. An ODS can be used for integrating disparate data from multiple sources so that business operations, analysis and reporting can be carried out while business operations are occurring. This is where most of the data used in current operations is housed before it's transferred to the data warehouse for longer-term storage or archiving.
ODSes are commonly used in online transaction processing applications, which involve processing transactional data. These applications use the quick, lightweight processing that ODS tools provide. ODS systems enable more comprehensive trend analysis reporting and processing across many different systems simultaneously.
