Configuring a Database Dimension Using Dimension Designer

Use Dimension Designer in Business Intelligence Development Studio to configure an existing database dimension in a Microsoft SQL Server 2005 Analysis Services (SSAS) project or database. You can use Dimension Designer to do the following:

  • Configure the dimension-level properties.
  • Add and configure dimension attributes.
  • Define and configure user-defined hierarchies.
  • Define and configure relationships between attributes.
  • Define dimension translations.
  • For processed dimensions, you can browse the dimension structure and view data.

After you modify a dimension, attribute, or hierarchy, you must process that dimension in order to view the changes. When working in project mode, you deploy the changes to the Analysis Services instance before processing.

For more information about how to open a dimension in Dimension Designer, see How to: Modify or Delete a Database Dimension in Solution Explorer.

Dimension Designer has three different tabs, which are described in the following table.

Tab Description

Dimension Structure

Use this tab to work with the structure of a dimension—to examine or create the data source view schema for a dimension, to work with attributes, and to organize attributes in user-defined hierarchies.

Translations

Use this tab to add and edit translations of dimension metadata in different languages.

Browser

Use this tab to examine the members of a processed dimension and to review translations of dimension metadata.

The following topics describe the tasks that you can perform in Dimension Designer.

Topic Description

Defining and Configuring Dimension Attributes

Describes how to define and configure a dimension attribute.

Defining and Configuring a User-Defined Hierarchy

Describes how to define and configure a user-defined hierarchy.

Defining and Configuring an Attribute Relationship

Describes how to define and configure an attribute relationship.

Enhancing a Dimension using the Business Intelligence Wizard

Describes how to use the Business Intelligence Wizard to enhance a dimension.

Working with a Write-Enabled Dimension

Describes how to work with a write-enabled dimension.

See Also

Concepts

Configuring Database Dimension Properties

Other Resources

Working with Database Dimension Basics How-to Topics

Help and Information

Getting SQL Server 2005 Assistance