**Fact tables**: Measures (quantity, amount); granular events; append-only; FKs to dimensions; high row count. **Dimension tables**: Descriptors (product name, customer); lower row count; used for grouping/filtering. **Why separate**: Facts grow linearly; dimensions change slowly. Star schema optimizes analytics—filter/group by dimension, aggregate facts. **Scalability**: Facts partitioned by date; dimensions often fit in memory for broadcast....
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