Writing a Value Back to a Cell

The value of the cell can be updated in several ways. The level of the value determines the process by which the value is updated. The Writeback method sets the value of a leaf level member directly. This method uses the transaction methods of the connection object. The Cell Allocation method sets the value of the non-leaf member and specifies how the changes should be distributed among the children of the member. The value can be indirectly updated in a cube by modifying the fact table and reprocessing the cube.

Changes made to a local cube only have session scope. To make permanent changes to a local cube changes must be made to the source data and the cube must be rebuilt.

Maintaining Write Enabled Cubes and Writeback data

Users can browse the data and change the displayed cube data in Write enabled cubes. The changes will be saved in a separate table called a Writeback table. The end users will be able to see the net effect of all the changes made by them. Read write access can be granted in a write enabled cube to specific users or groups of users. User access can be limited to specific cells of a cube also. Write back data can be browsed or deleted or write back data can be converted into a partition(this feature is available only in the enterprise edition)

Write Enable a cube

In the Analysis Manager tree pane, under the database that contains the cube, expand the Cubes folder.

Right-click the cube, and then click Write-enable.

In the Write-enable dialog box, in the Table name box, type a name for the writeback table.

In the Data source box, select a data source name. To specify a new data source, follow these steps:
Click New. Specify Jet OLE DB 4.0.
Click Next to specify the new data source as FoodMart 2000, and then click OK.

In the Write-enable dialog box, click OK.

Next Page: Tutorial 62: MSAS - Writebacks - Page 3