How Bluetooth Technology works?

This is the first article on the Bluetooth Technology by Nupur Mittal.  Bluetooth is a high-speed, low-power microwave wireless link technology, designed to connect phones, laptops, PDAs and other portable equipment together with little or no work by the user. Connective convenience Unlike infra-red, Bluetooth does not require line-of-sight positioning of connected units. The technology uses modifications of existing wireless LAN techniques but is most notable for its small size and low cost. The current prototype circuits are contained on a circuit board 0.9cm square, with a much smaller single… Read More

What is Bluetooth Technology

This is the first article on the Bluetooth Technology by Nupur Mittal. Blue tooth has been regarded as a new wave in the IT sector from the day of its origin. Blue tooth is continuing its success story. Toshiba introduced blue tooth in September 2000 to consumers for $ 199. The new technology is supported by SIG (Special Interest Group). SIG founded in 1998 consists of 2000 members who have access to the Blue tooth specifications (information needed to make a blue tooth product). The SIG works to promote the… Read More

MSAS – Writebacks

Dimensions can be modified so that the contents of the dimension changes. The impact of these changes can be viewed by end users browsing cubes. End user’s get an added analytical option due to this process.(This option is only available in the Enterprise Edition of Microsoft SQL Server 2000).Write-Enabled Dimensions Dimensions can be modified so that the contents of the dimension changes. The impact of these changes can be viewed by end users browsing cubes. End user’s get an added analytical option due to this process.(This option is only available… Read More

MSAS – Defining and Creating Drillthrough

Actions used by end users to select a single cube cell and retrieve a result set from the source data of the cell are known as Drillthrough actions. Drillthrough has to be enabled if administrators want to drillthrough in a Cube Browser and the Cube Editor data tab. The DrillThrough operations are extremely useful when the user wants to look at the underlying causes for some abnormally high or low outputs in specific fields. For example, let us say a store is doing extremely well and the sales in that… Read More

MSAS – Defining and Creating Auctions

This tutorial explains about defining Auctions, Creating Auctions, Creating Actions in Regular Cubes, Creating and Maintaining Actions in Virtual Cubes, Importing an Action into a Virtual Cube and Editing an Action in a Virtual Cube.Defining Actions End users can define certain operations to be performed or cubes or portions of a cube. These user defined operations are called Actions. The end user can use an action as a parameter for starting an application or for retrieving information. He can go beyond traditional analysis and initiate solutions to discovered problems and… Read More

ASP .NET Migration and Interoperability

Before Asp.net invasion there were many other programming languages and technologies on which the dynamic pages were made. In this tutorial I will explain how we can migrate our classic asp application to the modern asp.net application. Most of the components that were written was in visual basic 6 which communicated with the asp application using the COM components. Using COM Objects in Asp.net The Asp.net processor understands nearly all the syntax and all the objects that ASP itself supported. Let’s see how you can create a simple ADO Connection… Read More

MSAS – Creating and Maintaining Calculated Members in Virtual Cubes

Calculated members can be imported into virtual cubes from their component cubes. New calculated members also can be created directly into virtual cubes. The Calculated member Builder can be used to build the members or calculated members created in component cubes can be imported and then the same can be edited. The virtual cube editor is used to maintain the calculated members in virtual cubes. The Virtual cube Editor provides a single click access to Calculated Member Builder and the Import Calculated Members dialog box, which can be used to… Read More

MSAS – Building a Virtual Cube

In the above section we studied some of the reasons why we would want to create virtual cubes and how logical results can be obtained by making such cubes. We also saw that a virtual cube can be built quickly and easily by using the Virtual Cube Wizard.Building a Virtual Cube The Wizard takes the user through a series of steps that prompt him to specify the cubes, measures and dimensions to be used for building the virtual cube. The virtual cube then creates a combined view of the selected… Read More

MSAS – Understanding Virtual Cubes

This tutorial explains about Defining Virtual cubes, Benefits of using virtual cubes, Working with Virtual Cubes and Obtaining logical results.Defining Virtual cubes Virtual Cubes can be defined as a combination of multiple cubes into one logical cube. Virtual cubes resemble relational database views in so far as they combine other views and tables. A virtual cube is created by selecting measures and dimensions from a consolidated set of dimensions and measures underlying component cubes. End users will see the virtual cube as a single cube. Virtual cubes can also be… Read More

Functional Testing Tools

Here is the list of free Open Source Functional testing tools available.  If you know of any other , please send them over, so we can include them. Abbot Java GUI Test Framework http://abbot.sourceforge.net/ Description: The Abbot framework provides automated event generation and validation of Java GUI components, improving upon the very rudimentary functions provided by the java.awt.Robot class (A Better ‘Bot). The framework may be invoked directly from Java code or accessed without programming through the use of scripts. It is suitable for use both by developers for unit… Read More

SDLC : Software Development Life Cycle

This article explains about SDLC : Software Development Life Cycle  which is also known as Classic Life Cycle Model or Linear Sequential Model.   Author:  Madhavi Bade, QA Analyst.SDLC : Software Development Life Cycle The following are the actives of the SDLC   1) System engineering and modeling 2) Software require analysis 3) Systems analysis and design 4) Code generation 5) Testing 6) Development and Maintenance System Engineering and Modeling In this process we have to identify the projects requirement and main features proposed in the application. Here the development team visits the… Read More

MSAS – Introducing Solve Order

Before understanding what is solve order it is essential to understand the concept of Pass order. Solve order and pass order together determine the manner in which a cube is resolved in Analysis services.Pass order Every cube calculated as the result of a multidimensional Expression Query goes through a number of stages of calculations. Analysis server makes a complete pass of the calculations applicable for a stage and the stage is referred to as a calculation pass. The number of passes required to compute fully all the cells of a… Read More

MSAS – Implementing Calculations Using MDX Part 2

In this part 2 of  Implementing Calculations Using MDX, we will be learning about Renaming Calculated members, Creating Non Measure Calculated members, Using Functions in Calculated Members, Setting calculations at Member level and Setting a Calculation for a subcube or a selection of cells.Renaming Calculated members 1. In the Analysis Manager tree pane, under the database that contains the calculated member, expand the Cubes folder. 2. Right-click the cube that contains the calculated member, and then click Edit. 3. In the Cube Editor tree pane, right-click the calculated member, and then click Rename.… Read More

MSAS – Implementing Calculations Using MDX Part 1

In this tutorial we will be learning about Calculated members, Creating Calculated Members, Using Function Libraries to Build Calculated Members and Calculated Member Builder.Understanding Calculated members Calculated members are members of a dimension whose value is calculated at run time using Multidimensional expressions. The values of a calculated member may be derived from other member’s values. For instance Profit is determined by subtracting the value of member costs from value of member sales. This is unlike an input member whose value is directly loaded from the data base. The expressions for… Read More

MSAS – Merging Partitions

Cubes with multiple partitions can be extremely confusing. Users may like to organize the cubes into a cube with fewer partitions by merging some of the partitions together. The preconditions to the merger of cubes is that the Storage and aggregation design should be the same in the partitions being merged. To merge partitions with different storage designs, the partitions being merged must be edited to have the same storage design. The cubes must then be reprocessed before the merger is attempted. We will merge the Sales 97 partition back… Read More

MSAS – Introduction and Managing Partitions

The cube is a storage container that contains data and aggregations of data. Every cube must have at least one partition which must be stored in the Analysis server in which the cube is defined. Partitions are stored as separate files in the Partitions folder under the cube. If a cube contains multiple partitions, some of them can be stored in different physical locations. Partitions of a cube can also have different data sources. The aggregations of the data in the partitions can also be stored in different locations. The… Read More

MSAS – Troubleshooting Cube Processing

Microsoft SQL Server 2000 Analysis Services provides the user with many ways of tracking and solving errors. A large number of error logs built into the service help the user pinpoint the exact nature of errors and find solutions for them. Microsoft Tech Net also provides the user online support to troubleshoot problems. This requires paid membership. FAQs of different kinds are available for the reference of users. SQL Server Books Online FAQ SQL Server Enterprise Manager FAQ Administration Tools FAQ Failover Clustering FAQ Multiple Instance FAQ Programming FAQ Replication… Read More

MSAS – Processing Dimensions and Cubes

As stated earlier, maps are created when a dimension is processed. However, existing maps of a dimension are destroyed when it is processed and new maps are created. Consequently all cubes accessing the dimension will find it inaccessible and the cube will be invalid. The dimension will become accessible only when the cube is reprocessed.When cubes contain a large number of dimensions and some of the dimensions undergo a change, reprocessing a cube can become a daunting task. However, Analysis server has a solution to this problem. It is possible… Read More

MSAS – Introducing Dimension and Cube Processing

The Analysis server is like a black box. Everything that happens in the server is recorded, but the end user sees a multidimensional cube created out of the data in the data warehouse and has very little taste of what really goes on behind the scenes. In this section we will be examining this black box to understand how the Analysis server processes Dimensions and cubes. We will also learn how to optimize cube processing and how to troubleshoot cube processing.Processing Dimensions: Introduction Dimensions are building blocks on which the… Read More

Creating and consuming XML Web Services with C#

Introduction: We all talk about webservices, webservices can do this and webservices can do that. But when we are asked to make one, we hesitate. Maybe it’s because we never made a webservice before, and all the time playing with Webforms and Windows Forms or even Console Applications. By the way, I love Console applications. In this article, I will show you how to create a simple webservice that is consumed by a Console application client. Motivation of the XML Web Services Most of the people does not understand that… Read More

MSAS: Optimization Tuning Part 2

The SQL Server Query Analyzer is a feature rich Query Analyzer. The tool can provide a graphical representation of a query and helps the user mould queries into more efficient shapes. It also helps identify faulty queries. +To Tune the index created the user will have to open the SQL query analyzer and open a query or enter one. On the Query menu click on Index Tuning Wizard and follow the steps of the wizard. On the Specify workload screen select SQL Query Analyzer Selection and click Next. Select the… Read More

MSAS: Optimization Tuning Part 1

SQL Server 2000 Analysis services comes with certain features that optimize performance without the intervention of the Administrator. The Storage Engine is optimized by incorporating the following features;Record size and Data types should be kept as short as possible in the Fact tables and should only include fields for measures and indexed key columns. The Measure fields should use the smallest data type consistent with the measure data but the data type should be large enough to contain summarized values and prevent overflow when aggregations are calculated. Even saving two… Read More

MSAS: Usage-Based Optimization

This tutorial explains the usage of the Usage Based Optimization Wizard, The Server Cache , Query Usage and Manipulating the query log. Using the Usage Based Optimization Wizard. 1. When a set of queries have accumulated in the Usage log, the Usage based Optimization wizard can be pressed into service. 2. The task on hand is to select the Logged queries that should be applied and then design aggregations based on them 3. Let us assume that a user has browsed the sales cube and accumulated log entries by manipulating data. 4.… Read More

MSAS: Analysis Services Aggregations

Pre-calculated summaries of data that improve query response time are called aggregations. OLAP technology organizes data into the multidimensional structures of cubes. The dimensions and their hierarchies define the queries that can be asked of the cubes.Cells store the value at the intersection of dimension coordinates. Whenever a query is made on the data, the results have to be fetched from the various locations of cells on the multidimensional structure, affecting response time.  Aggregations consist of all the possible combinations of one level from each dimension in the cube. This… Read More

QuickTest Professional 8.0 CBT Tutorial and Evaluation Copy

Please find the step to get QuickTest Professional 8.0 CBT Step by Step Tutorial and Evaluation copy of the software. It takes couple of min to register and you get everything you need to learn and practice. The best part is comes with 1200 Page PDF Manual with kind of step by step instructions along with screen shots.Introduction to QuickTest Professional 8.0, Computer Based Training Register for free account, you will be able to download QuickTest CBT and Evaluation Copy software. QuickTest Professional is today’s answer for keeping pace with… Read More

MSAS: The Storage Design Wizard

The Storage Design Wizard helps the user set the storage options and design the aggregations for a cube. While choosing from the three available storage modes the user has to keep certain factors in mind. ROLAP stores aggregations in a relational database and hence it does not make sense to select ROLAP as a storage mode for cubes if the aim is to have speed of performance in analysis. Aggregations in Relational databases are slow and bulky and it defeats the very purpose of creating the aggregations. However, if the… Read More

MSAS: Analysis Server Cube Storage

Online Analytical Processing (OLAP) is essentially data presented as Cubes, dimensions, hierarchies and measures. Users can navigate a complex set of data intuitively using these objects. In this context, consistent response times for each view or slice of data become important. Therefore modes of storing and retrieving data became the key tenet of storage design. In the early days OLAP technology focused upon specialized, non-relational storage models as the only possible mode for OLAP. They called this technology Multidimensional OLAP(MOLAP). Later vendors discovered that the use of database structures(Star and… Read More

MSAS: Defining Cube Properties

Each object in the properties pane of the Cube Editor has its own set of properties which can be used to modify the settings of the object.  The properties of a cube defined in the properties pane are as tabulated below.  In this section we shall use these properties to set the properties of our cubes. Aggregation Prefix: This is a prefix appended to aggregation name for the cube’s partitions, provided that the partition’s aggregation prefix begins with a plus sign (+). In this case, this property’s value is appended… Read More

MSAS: Introduction and Working with Measures

The quantitative and numerical columns from a fact table of a cube are the measures of the cube. When the cube is processed the data in the measures get aggregated across the dimensions of the cube. These measures are of primary interest to the end user and are the central values that get analyzed in a cube.Introduction to Measures The quantitative and numerical columns from a fact table of a cube are the measures of the cube. When the cube is processed the data in the measures get aggregated across… Read More

MSAS: Introduction and Working with Cubes

The main object in Online Analytical processing is the cube. A cube is defined as a subset of the data in the data warehouse, organized and summarized into multidimensional structure that consists of dimensions and measures. Introduction to Cubes The purpose of creating cubes is to provide an easy to use mechanism for data access and quick and uniform response time for queries. User interface controls are inbuilt into Analysis Services to enable end users to connect to the server for queries and manipulate the cube. Aggregations built into the… Read More

Managing Data with ADO.NET DataSets and C#

This tutorial explains about The Role of DataSets in ADO.NET , Using DataSets in ASP.NET , Saving DataSets in Session State, Using DataTable Constraints, DataSet, DataRelations Using DataSets with DataAdapters to Modify Data and the Transactional Model in DataSets.   ASP.NET: Managing Data with ADO.NET DataSets and C#   Introduction In this article we will explore the DataSet, DataTable and DataRelations classes. Those who have worked with classic asp will be familiar with record sets. Record set was the individual rows that were retrieved from the database and than binded… Read More

Oracle 9i Packages

This weeks tutorial explains about Oracle Packages, Developing Packages, Package Specification, Package Body; Overloading, Oracle Supplied Packages and Dbms_output. Oracle Packages A package is a group of procedures, functions, variables and SQL statements created as a single unit. It is used to store together related objects. A package has two parts, Package Specification or spec or package header and Package Body. Package Specification acts as an interface to the package. Declaration of types, variables, constants, exceptions, cursors and subprograms is done in Package specifications. Package specification does not contain any… Read More

MSAS: Virtual Dimensions

A logical dimension created out of the columns of a physical dimension is a virtual dimension. The contents of a virtual dimension are member properties of the physical dimension or columns and tables of a physical dimension. For instance the Store name level of the Store dimension has a member property named Store Sqft. This member property identifies the area of the store in square feet. This member property can be used to create a virtual dimension and this can be added to any cube that contains the Store Dimension.The… Read More

MSAS: Introducing Member Properties

Member properties are attributes associated with members. They contain some additional information about a member but cannot be used to create a level in the dimension by themselves. For example each member of the Month level has an associated Boolean number property called Bonus month.If records the bonus given during the month, if any. Since the frequency of bonus is irregular, all months may not have Bonus awarded during the month. This attribute of the month therefore may be 0 or 1 and provides additional information about the month. It… Read More

MSAS: Creating Custom Rollups

To enable proper aggregation of values along a dimension each member of the dimension needs its own aggregation rule. These rules are provided by custom roll up. Custom rollup operators provide a simple way of controlling the process of rolling up a member to its parents values. Custom rollup operators assigned to a column during the process of creating a dimension. The rollup then, uses the contents of the column as custom rollup operator for each member and is used to evaluate the value of the member’s parents.Custom rollups are… Read More

MSAS: Creating a Time Dimension

Time dimensions are part and parcel of OLAP cubes. At the lowest level of detail a time dimension may contain a month, minute or even a second. At the most summarized level it may contain a year, a decade or a century. The repetitive nature of time encourages users to view data in terms of a time dimension. How much sales of x product occurred during the month of March or April in the year 2000 compared to the year 2001? This would be a query on a sales cube… Read More

MSAS: Understanding Hierarchies

A hierarchy defines the relative positions of members in a dimension. Hierarchies are sometimes represented as pyramidal structures. The members in this structure are arranged in an expansive order—from the most summarized to the most detailed. For instance in a geography dimension the country may the most summarized and the individual cities and localities may be the most detailed members of the hierarchy.Analysis Services supports three kinds of hierarchies. Balanced, unbalanced and ragged. A balanced hierarchy is a hierarchy in which all branches descend to the same level and each… Read More

MSAS: Dimension Storage Modes and Levels

Dimensions are stored in the Multidimensional OLAP or Relational OLAP. The storage mode determines the location and form of the dimensions data. While MOLAP stores data in a multidimensional structure on the Analysis server, ROLAP stores the data in the relational tables. The storage mode can be set using the Dimension or cube editor.When a Dimension’s storage mode is set to ROLAP the following settings have to be made to the levels in the dimension. The lowest level’s Member Keys Unique property is to be set to TRUE.The dimension must… Read More

MSAS: Working with Levels and Hierarchies

Dimensions are defined as structural attributes of a cube made up of levels arranged in hierarchies. A level is a set of members of a dimension organized such that all members of the set are at an equal distance from the root of the hierarchy. A hierarchy is the set of members in a dimension and their positions relative to one another.Working with Levels and hierarchiesThe basic facts relating to levels was discussed in “Building Dimensions using Dimension Editor”. In this tutorial we will go a little deeper into how… Read More