Suggestion: Add a Community Reference Project — Northwind Enterprise Data Platform (Kimball DWH/BI Implementation)

[zinykov]

Hello Microsoft SQL Server Team,

I would like to share a community-driven reference project that may be valuable for developers, data engineers, BI professionals, and architects working with SQL Server and classical Kimball-style Data Warehouse design.

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📌 Project: Northwind Enterprise Data Platform (EDP)

A full end‑to‑end DWH/BI implementation built entirely on the Microsoft SQL Server ecosystem.
The solution demonstrates a complete architectural lifecycle and covers all layers of a traditional Microsoft-based analytical platform:

Architecture & Modeling

• Kimball Bus Matrix with conformed dimensions
• SCD1/SCD2 implementation
• Fact/dimension modeling with proper grain definitions
• Back Room → Front Room separation

ETL & Data Processing

• Modular SSIS pipelines
• Delta detection using SHA2_512
• Partition switching & sliding window maintenance
• Full audit (JSON hybrid model) and lineage tracking

Data Quality & Master Data

• Integration with SQL Server Data Quality Services (DQS)
• Integration with Master Data Services (MDS)
• Extended validation and error handling framework

Semantic Layer & Reporting

• Power BI Report Server
• Planned migration path to SSAS Tabular
• Centralized DAX-based business logic

DevOps, Testing & Operations

• CI/CD pipelines in Azure DevOps
• Automated functional ETL test suite (MSTest)
• Operational runbooks and maintenance plans
• Performance baseline & monitoring reports

Even though some components (MDS/DQS) are deprecated in SQL Server 2025, the project remains a useful architectural and educational reference for classical on‑premise DWH implementations.

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🔗 Public Repositories

• Azure DevOps (full source & CI/CD):
  https://dev.azure.com/zinykov/Northwind%20EDP

• GitHub Mirror (public):
  https://github.com/zinykov/NorthwindBI/tree/master

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📌 Why this may be relevant for SQL Server Samples

This project:

• Demonstrates a real-world, production-grade Kimball DWH implementation on SQL Server
• Can help developers and data engineers learn fact/dimension modeling, SCD logic, staging design, and partitioning strategies
• Shows how to orchestrate ETL, DQS/MDS workflows, and auditing in a cohesive solution
• Includes automated test coverage and DevOps patterns rarely seen in educational samples
• Modernizes the classic Northwind scenario into a complete BI platform

If you find this valuable, feel free to reference it in the SQL Server Samples as an advanced community example.

Thank you for your time and for maintaining this repository!

Best regards,
Denis Zinukov