Cubes in Multidimensional Models
A cube is a multidimensional structure that contains information for analytical purposes; the main constituents of a cube are dimensions and measures. Dimensions define the structure of the cube that you use to slice and dice over, and measures provide aggregated numerical values of interest to the end user. As a logical structure, a cube allows a client application to retrieve values, of measures, as if they were contained in cells in the cube; cells are defined for every possible summarized value. A cell, in the cube, is defined by the intersection of dimension members and contains the aggregated values of the measures at that specific intersection.
Benefits of Using Cubes
A cube provides a single place where all related data, for analysis, is stored.
Components of Cubes
A cube is composed of:
Element |
Description |
|---|---|
Dimensions |
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Measures and Measure Groups |
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Partitions |
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Perspectives |
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Hierarchies |
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Actions |
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Key Performance Indicators (KPI) |
Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) in Multidimensional Models |
Calculations |
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Translations |
Related Tasks
Topic |
Description |
|---|---|
Describes how to use the Cube Wizard to define a cube, dimensions, dimension attributes, and user-defined hierarchies. |
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Describes how to define measure groups. |
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Describes how to define and configure a calculation in an MDX script. |
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Describes how to define and configure an action. |
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Describes how to define and configure a perspective. |
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Describes how to work with stored procedures. |