Column count on dimension table

I'm currently modeling a star schema for data mart and fairly new to the process. I have one dimension (dim_Request) that has a lot of columns (276). Is there a breaking point in the number of columns recommended for a dimension? Do I need to normalize this dimension to get the column number down?

Thanks

DMMay

Column count isn't a determining factor per-se. But, you should go through an exercise to see where you may have embedded useful dimensions in the table.

There is also a common design error where dimensions are misused to record events. That is the domain of a fact table. Is your dimension describing the request or is it recording the request?

ngalemmo wrote: Is your dimension describing the request or is it recording the request?

Describing vs Recording - I like it. This is an effective way to differentiate the thinking about dimensions versus facts. Recording is more appropriate than "Measuring".

Yes, describing vs. recording is interesting.

I have a (type 2) dimension that represents a service agreement. In the OLTP system, this entity has a repeating attributes child table for a rate code and effective date. The rate code is a FK to a rate schedule entity table. So this child table is a M:M join table.

From your description, it sounds like this is recording an event. But in the OLTP system, the application allows them to change the rate code for a historical (not most current) effective date.

How would you model this? Should this repeating data be a) flattened in the service agreement dimension or b) create a snowflaked dimension where these "events" are in a child dimension or c) stored as facts? I'm uncertain how a changed (corrected) historical rate code would work in a fact table. We would want to know that this change was made (and when). So I'd prefer to go with option A since the type 2 model would record the event change. The problem with flattening is deciding on the limit (number of repeating entries) since column changes in a dimension are an expensive change.

Thoughts?