New Analysis Services Designers and Wizards (SSAS)

Microsoft SQL Server 2005 Analysis Services (SSAS) introduces several new designers and wizards. These new designers and wizards help you develop business intelligence solutions more quickly.

Analysis Services Designers

The following designers are either enhanced or new in this version of Analysis Services.

  • Data Source View Designer
    Data Source View Designer provides a simple, diagram-based environment for defining the tables and relationships on which to base Analysis Services objects. (These references between an underlying data source and an Analysis Services object form the data source view.) You can also use Data Source View Designer to define query-based tables, called named queries, and columns, called named calculations. Named queries and named calculations provide an easy way to extend existing relational schema for business intelligence solutions.

    For more information, see Data Source View Designer (SSAS).

  • Cube Designer
    Cube Designer has been enhanced to provide support for dimension usage, translation, Multidimensional Expressions (MDX) scripting, and key performance indicator (KPI) functionality introduced in Analysis Services.

    For more information, see Cube Designer (SSAS).

  • Dimension Designer
    Dimension Designer has been enhanced to provide support for attribute-based dimension definitions, user-defined and attribute hierarchies, translations, and dimension writeback.

    For more information, see Dimension Designer (SSAS).

  • Data Mining Model Designer
    Data Mining Model Designer provides enhancements for defining, viewing, and testing mining structures and mining models in Business Intelligence Development Studio.

    For more information, see Data Mining Model Designer (SSAS).

Analysis Services Wizards

The following designers are either enhanced or new in this version of Analysis Services.

  • Business Intelligence Wizard
    Business Intelligence Wizard provides advanced business intelligence features, such as currency conversion, account intelligence, time intelligence, and dimension writeback support, for dimensions and cubes in Analysis Services.

    For more information, see Business Intelligence Wizard F1 Help (SSAS).

  • Data Source View Wizard
    Data Source View Wizard can quickly and automatically retrieve the relational schema of a data source and construct tables and relationships on which Analysis Services objects, such as dimensions and cubes, can be based.

    For more information, see Data Source View Wizard F1 Help (SSAS).

  • Migration Wizard
    Migration Wizard offers an easy-to-use mechanism for migrating databases from previous versions of Analysis Services to an instance of SQL Server 2005 Analysis Services.

    For more information, see Migration Wizard F1 Help (SSAS).

  • Schema Generation Wizard
    Schema Generation Wizard allows you to create relational schemas based on existing Analysis Services objects. Instead of creating a data source view based on an existing relational database, you can first create your dimensions and cubes by using the appropriate Analysis Services tools, and then design a data source view based on the dimensions and cubes that you have created. You can then use the data source view to create and populate a relational database specifically to support your business intelligence solution.

    For more information, see Schema Generation Wizard F1 Help (SSAS).

  • Cube Wizard
    Cube Wizard provides several enhancements. One significant enhancement is the auto build technology that intelligently analyzes and determines dimensions, hierarchies, and measure groups from the tables and relationships of the underlying data source. With Cube Wizard, you can quickly and with minimal effort prototype a cube based on an existing data source. You can also use Cube Wizard to design a cube without a data source, letting you develop your cube based on your reporting requirements. Then, you can use the Schema Generation Wizard to create the relational schema necessary to support the cube.

    For more information, see Cube Wizard F1 Help (SSAS).

  • Dimension Wizard
    Dimension Wizard provides enhancements, such as slowly changing dimension support, dimension writeback, account intelligence, and time intelligence, to the design of database dimensions in Analysis Services. Dimension Wizard also takes advantage of Schema Generation Wizard to generate relational schema for database dimensions that are not based on an existing data source.

    For more information, see Dimension Wizard F1 Help (SSAS).

See Also

Concepts

Tools Enhancements

Help and Information

Getting SQL Server 2005 Assistance