Hierarchies can be added to a dimension in two ways. If a hierarchy has already been defined for a dimension then the Dimension Editor can be invoked to edit the dimension. If the hierarchy is to be added to a dimension that has no defined hierarchies, then, new hierarchies can be created by renaming the dimension with a new dimension name part, a period and a hierarchy name part. Further hierarchies can be created on similar lines with the hierarchy name being different. It should be noted that when creating dimensions with multiple hierarchies, the hierarchy part of the name should not be equal to any current or future level name or member name in the dimension as queries will derive ambiguous results.

How to add a hierarchy to an existing dimension

In the Analysis Manager tree pane, expand the database in which you want to create the dimension with multiple hierarchies, and then expand the Shared Dimensions folder.

Right-click the shared dimension with an identified hierarchy in which you want to add a hierarchy, and then click Edit. Such dimensions have names where a period is used to separate the dimension name part from the hierarchy name part.

In Dimension Editor, edit the dimension by adding or deleting levels or changing its schema.

After editing the dimension, to save the dimension with a new hierarchy, on the File menu, click Save As to display the Dimension: New Name dialog box. To add a new hierarchy, change the hierarchy part of the name following the period in the New name box. (Do not change the dimension name part before the period.) Click OK.

Please note that when additional hierarchies are created for dimensions, the hierarchy part of the name should not equal any current or future level name or member name in the dimension because queries using the dimension may be ambiguous.

To add a hierarchy to a dimension without a previously identified hierarchy

In the Analysis Manager tree pane, expand the database in which you want to create the dimension with multiple hierarchies, and then expand the Shared Dimensions folder.

Right-click the shared dimension with an unidentified hierarchy in which you want to add a hierarchy, and then click Edit. The names of dimensions with unidentified hierarchies are those that do not contain periods. The dimensions without periods are marked in red and those with periods are marked in blue in the picture below.

In Dimension Editor, to create a new dimension with a new hierarchy based on the selected dimension, on the File menu, click Save As to display the Dimension: New Name dialog box. In the New name box, provide a different dimension name followed by a period and a hierarchy name. Click OK.

Please Note that when creating dimensions with multiple hierarchies, the hierarchy part of the name should not equal any current or future level name or member name in the dimension because queries using the dimension may be ambiguous.

(Optional.) In Dimension Editor, edit the hierarchy of the dimension by adding or deleting levels or changing its schema.

After editing the dimension and its hierarchy, on the File menu, click Save to save changes.

(Optional.) To create additional hierarchies for the dimension, on the File menu, click Save As to display the Dimension: New Name dialog box. To add a new hierarchy, change the hierarchy part of the name following the period in the New name box. (In this case, do not change the dimension name part before the period.) Click OK.

Repeat Steps 4 through 6 to edit and save the new hierarchy.