How might a Data Mart relate to a Data Warehouse?

A Data Mart is a subset of a data warehouse that is designed to focus on a specific business area or department, such as sales or finance. The relationship between a Data Mart and a Data Warehouse can be quite flexible. It can indeed be part of a data warehouse, meaning it draws on data stored in a centralized data warehouse. Alternatively, a Data Mart can also operate independently by sourcing data from various external systems and databases without relying on a larger data warehouse. This flexibility is what makes the correct answer accurate; a Data Mart may depend on, be a subset of, or operate independently from a data warehouse, accommodating different business needs and technical architectures.

The other choices imply a more rigid structure that does not accurately reflect the various ways in which Data Marts can operate in relation to Data Warehouses, thereby failing to capture the potential versatility of Data Marts in a diverse data ecosystem.