Databases Reference
In-Depth Information
The Essbase outline—the foundation
Think of the Essbase database outline as the air traffic controller of the database
or a planning and logistics manager or even a traffic cop. For those of you who are
relational database fans, you can think of an Essbase database outline as a logical
database model. It can be thought of as a tool that gives you a visual reference to
how the data is stored in the database and how the different elements relate to
each other. Think of the Essbase database outline as all of these things and more.
As the very foundation, the Essbase database outline is the framework or base
platform, upon which the entire database is built. If you remember, when you
created your first Essbase database in the previous chapter, a shell or empty
Essbase database outline was automatically created.
This newly created shell outline has no dimensions or members, does not contain
any data, and is just a place holder or starting point. Let us now learn about the
various components and features that make up an Essbase database outline and
then build one!
Dimensions and members
We have previously discussed that the Essbase database outline is comprised of
components called dimensions and members. To quickly review, remember that
the outline dimensions are best described as the categories of your data that is,
model year, calendar periods, and so on. For you die-hard relational database types,
dimensions loosely translate into the columns you use in your tables. Database outline
members are the children of the dimensions. The database members and dimensions
enjoy a hierarchical parent-child relationship with the dimensions at the highest level.
Dimensions
are best used to describe the data in the data warehouse system.
Dimensions are the top-most members in the hierarchy. A dimension can represent
the summarized or consolidated data for all its children members. In the following
screenshot
TOTAL VEHICLE
is the parent dimension.
Members
are children of the parent dimensions. A parent dimension can have
an infinite number of child members. The member can either store the data or
dynamically calculate the data upon request.
