Data warehouses are primarily used for:

Data warehouses are specifically designed to support the querying and analysis of large volumes of historical data collected over time. Their architecture is optimized for read-heavy operations, making it ideal for analytical queries that involve complex calculations and aggregations. By consolidating data from various sources into a single repository, data warehouses facilitate comprehensive analysis, trend identification, and business intelligence activities.

Unlike operational databases, which are intended for transaction processing, data warehouses focus on providing insights into past performance and trends. This allows organizations to make informed decisions based on long-term data analysis rather than immediate transactional data. Thus, using a data warehouse for analyzing historical data is the primary function that underscores its importance in the realm of data management and analytics.