Book Image

SQL Server Analysis Services 2012 Cube Development Cookbook

Book Image

SQL Server Analysis Services 2012 Cube Development Cookbook

Overview of this book

Microsoft SQL Server is a relational database management system. As a database, it is a software product whose primary function is to store and retrieve data as requested by other software applications. SQL Server Analysis Services adds OLAP and data mining capabilities for SQL Server databases. OLAP (online analytical processing) is a technique for analyzing business data for effective business intelligence. This practical guide teaches you how to build business intelligence solutions using Microsoft’s core product – SQL Server Analysis Services. The book covers the traditional multi-dimensional model which has been around for over a decade as well as the tabular model introduced with SQL Server 2012. Starting with comparing MultiDimensional and tabular models – discussing the values and limitations of each, you will then cover the essential techniques for building dimensions and cubes. Following on from this, you will be introduced to more advanced topics, such as designing partitions and aggregations, implementing security, and synchronizing databases for solutions serving many users. The book also covers administrative material, such as database backups, server configuration options, and monitoring and tuning performance. We also provide a primer on MultiDimensional eXpressions (MDX) as well as Data Analysis expressions (DAX) languages. This book provides you with data cube development techniques, and also the ongoing monitoring and tuning for Analysis Services.
Table of Contents (19 chapters)
SQL Server Analysis Services 2012 Cube Development Cookbook
Credits
About the Authors
About the Reviewers
www.PacktPub.com
Preface
Index

Dimension usage with measure group


Earlier in this chapter, you built your first cube and experienced how quickly you can build business applications using Analysis Services and Excel. The sample cube was very simplistic in a sense that it only exposed two dimensions, each of which had a direct relationship with the fact table. The Cube Wizard automatically detected such relationships and required minimal developer interaction. There are many real-world applications that have a model very similar to your sample cube. However, other requirements necessitate the usage of more complex fact-to-dimension relationships, which you will learn next.

To define how dimensions relate to various measure groups in your cube, switch over to the tab called Dimension Usage. Instead of creating all the dimensions from scratch, you will use the Adventure Works 2012 sample database. Keep in mind that the sample database exposes every possible dimension relationship type because the database is a learning tool...