MSAS – Browsing the Dependency Network
The predictive model of the decision tree helps users determine whether similar cases will have a similar behavior. The attributes of the tree can be examined for impact analysis by using the Depende...
Category Archives: MSAS
MSAS – Building a Relational Decision Tree Model
Let us assume FoodMart wants the members with Golden Membership to be studied. It wants to focus on broadening the membership of the Gold Card. This can be done now using the Decision Tree Model. The...
MSAS – Introduction to Data Mining
The process of probing into a set of information for descriptive and predictive purposes is called data mining. The purpose is to identify those trends and patterns which indicate the direction of ef...
MSAS – Applying security to a Dimension
When roles are assigned for cubes the user has access or no access to the cube. When roles are assigned to a dimension, the user gains only partial access to parts of the cube. The simplest method of...
Tutorial 65: MSAS – Managing Cube Roles
In the Analysis Manager console tree, expand the cubes folder and right click the Sales cube and click Manage roles The Cube Role Manager Dialog box appears. The dialog box shows all the users whose ...
MSAS – Understanding Database Roles
When a new database is created a default role is created for all OLAP Administrators to have access to the Analysis Manager. However, other users have to be given rights to access the database and it...
MSAS – Securing User Authentication
The enforcement of security defined by the roles must be preceded by user authentication. When the user connects to the Analysis server, the first thing that happens is authentication. The user login...
MSAS – Introducing Analysis Services Security
Security of data is of paramount importance to most industries and organizations. All organizations want to restrict access to data hierarchically or define role based access. Analysis Services provi...
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...
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 w...
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 Ed...
MSAS – Creating and Maintaining Calculated Members in Virtual Cu...
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 ...
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 buil...
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...
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 serv...
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 Me...
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 Calcu...
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 ...
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. Part...
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 natur...
MSAS – Optimizing Cube Processing
Cubes are made up of a fact table and several dimensions. Optimizing cube processing therefore, involves optimizing dimensions also. Let us look at two scenarios. One in which the dimensions are n...
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 ...
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 li...
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 i...
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 f...
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 ...
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 hiera...
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 ...
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 con...
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 pa...
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. ...
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...
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 table...
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...
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 sim...
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 d...
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&m...
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 structur...
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 eq...
MSAS: Working with Parent-Child Dimensions
Parent child dimensions when viewed from within a cube reveal some interesting features. We will add an private employee parent child dimension to the sales cube and study the features thereof.In the...
MSAS : Basics of Levels
A level is an element of a dimension hierarchy that describes the hierarchy from the highest level to the lowest level of data. Levels exist within dimensions and are based on columns in the dimensio...
MSAS : Working with Standard Dimensions
Dimensions are created, based on dimension table columns, member properties, or from the structure of OLAP data mining models. When a dimension is defined, there are a number of possible approaches. ...
MSAS : Shared vs Private Dimensions
This tutorial explains how to create Shared dimension using Dimension Editor , Private dimension using Dimension Editor and the differences between them.Creating Shared Dimension using Dimension Edit...
Understanding Dimension Basics
The next 6 tutorials explains Building Dimensions using Dimensions Editor. Dimensional modeling is the conceptualization and visualization of numerical data models as a set of measures that are deriv...
MSAS : Office 2000 OLAP Components
PivotTable component in Office 2000 is the PivotTable report feature. It allows the user select and cross tabulate numerical values in ways that are similar to the processes of a cube. The earlier ve...
MSAS : Client Architecture
The PivotTable Service:The interfaces used by client applications to access OLAP data and data mining data on the server are provided by the PivotTable Service. The PivotTable service is a set of too...
MSAS : Cube Storage options
In the first tutorial of this series “Introduction to Data Warehousing and OLAP” we briefly touched upon storage options that are used in data warehousing. In the second chapter “ I...
MSAS : Meta data Repository
Metadata is a description of data. It provides a consistent way to describe data structures. It is used to describe data as it is being transformed and gives a clear explanation of the meaning of dif...
MSAS : Analysis services Tools for Extended Functionality
Analysis services provides various tools that can be programmatically used to extend its functionality. Analysis services supports OLE DB to meet the OLAP specific requirements and is also designed t...
MSAS : The Wizards
The primary aim of Microsoft was to ease the process of building and using data warehouses. A large number of wizards, editors and tools have been built into the Analysis services to fulfill this obj...
MSAS : The Analysis Manager and Analysis Server
Analysis services is the middle tier server component of the MS SQL 2000. It manages multidimensional OLAP cubes of data and ease of access to such data to end users. It also enables user to create d...
MSAS : The Data warehousing framework of SQL Server 2000 – Part ...
This is part 2 of MSAS : The Data warehousing framework of SQL Server 2000. It’s very important that you understand the concepts if you are really trying to get job in Data Warehous...
MSAS : The Data warehousing framework of SQL Server 2000 – Part ...
The Data warehousing framework is a set of components and API’s that implement the data warehousing features of the SQL server 2000. The common interface of the server known as the Enterprise M...
MSAS : Microsoft Data Warehousing Overview
This tutorial explains various functions available and the tools available for building and managing data warehouses. MSAS : Microsoft Data Warehousing OverviewModern day enterprises believe tha...
MSAS : Browsing the Cube
This tutorial explains about the Cube Browser, it’s a tool provided within the Analysis Services to display the results of the cube process without the need to add external soft...
MSAS : Designing Storage and Processing the Cube
This tutorial covers the storage modes for the cube before it can be processed. The kind of storage selected will determine the query performance and enhance the cube efficiency.Tutorial 15: MSAS : D...
MSAS : Building the Cube Part #3
This is part 3 in MSAS : Building the Cube series, If you have not completed reading part 1 and 2 , please do so before continuing with this tutorial. Tutorial 14: MSAS : Building the Cube Part #3The...
MSAS : Building the Cube Part #2
This is part 2 in MSAS : Building the Cube series, If you have not completed reading part1, please do so before continuing with this tutorial.Tutorial 13: MSAS : Building the Cube Part #2Cl...
MSAS : Building the Cube Part #1
This three part tutorial explains about cubes, Dimensions and how to create them using the wizards. You need to understand and learn how to create the cubes since it’s very critical step.Tutori...
MSAS : Setting up the Database in Analysis Server
This tutorial explains Setting up the Database in Analysis Server and how to connect and test the connectivity.Setting up the Database in Analysis ServerThe first step in creating a cube is the setti...
MSAS : Preparing to Create the Cube
This tutorial explains the steps to create the cube and the preparation like settip the datasource.Preparing to Create the CubeA cube is the fundamental unit of data storage and retrieval in the Anal...
MSAS : Introducing Analysis Manager Wizards
This tutorial covers brief introduction to Analysis Manager Wizards, how to start, Previewing and Defining terms which helps to understand the navigation along with the screen shots.Introducing Analy...
Microsoft Analysis Services Installation
This tutorial covers the download and step by step installation instructions along with the screen shots which helps with your PC setup to contine learning MSAS. Download or order the SQL Server...
MSAS – Applying OLAP Cubes
This tutorial covers the types of changes that impact on cubes and Synchronization OLAP and data warehouse data. Multidimensional cubes are created out of the data stored in the data warehouse. Numer...
Understanding OLAP Models
This tutorial covers the different types of OLAP models like Relational Online Analytical Processing mode( ROLAP), Multidimensional Online Analytical processing mode(MOLAP) and Hybrid Online Analytic...
Designing the Dimensional Model and Preparing the data for OLAP
This tutorial covers Designing the Dimensional Model, Dimensional Model schemas like Star Schema, Snowflake Schema, Optimizing star schema and Design of the Relational Database, OLAP Cubes and Data m...
Design of the data warehouse: Kimball Vs Inmon
This tutorial covers the basic design concepts, The top down approach, The Bottom-Up Approach , Hybrid Approach and Federated approach.Ralph Kimball and Inmon, the co-founders of the data warehouse, ...
Defining OLAP Solutions and Data Warehouse design
This tutorial covers OLAP solutions used by Data warehouses and understanding Data Warehouse design. The enterprise needs to ask itself certain fundamental questions before actually launching on the ...
Data Warehouse database and OLTP database
In this tutorial we will learn about the differences between Data Warehouse database and OLTP database and the objectives of a Data warehouse and Data flow. The data warehouse and the OLTP data base ...
Introduction to Data Warehousing
This tutorial starts with the introduction to Data Warehousing, Definition of OLAP, difference between Data warehouse and the OLTP Database, Objectives of data warehousing and data flow. Computerizat...
Microsoft Analysis Services Training
Microsoft Analysis Services Training We are glad to let you know that we are starting with Microsoft Analysis Services Training in the following topics. We will be publishing the tutori...