Database Reference
In-Depth Information
Creating simple dimensions
The Analysis Services dimension allows examining data across a specific business
vertical. For example, the Product dimension allows managers to see which products
generated the most revenue, and the Geography dimension helps determine the most
profitable regions. Each dimension is based on a corresponding table or view in the
relational data source; dimension table's columns will correspond to SSAS dimension
attributes. Analysis Services allows creation of very simple as well as very complex
dimension structures. There are many dimension and attribute properties which let
us customize each dimension to meet specific business requirements. Let's begin by
creating a simple dimension and then working our way through more complex ones.
Getting ready
To complete this recipe, we must have at least one data source view with necessary
tables, views, named queries, and named calculations.
How to do it...
To create a dimension perform the following steps:
1. Right-click on the
Dimensions
folder in SSDT's
Solution Explorer
and
choose
New Dimension
. This activates the
Dimension Wizard
. The intro-
ductory screen provides some choices for building dimensions: we can use
an existing table, generate a table, or create a server-level time dimension. A
large majority of your dimensions will be based on tables or views that already
exist in the relational source. Date- and time-related dimensions occasionally
make sense if they are to be created through Analysis Services, as discussed
later in this chapter. For this example choose
Use an existing table
and click
on
Next
:
Search WWH ::
Custom Search