Defining an Analysis Services Database

You can create and modify a Microsoft SQL Server Analysis Services database using one of two primary methods:

• You can create an Analysis Services database by deploying an Analysis Services project from Business Intelligence Development Studio to a designated instance of Analysis Services. This process creates an Analysis Services database, if a database with that name does not already exist within that instance, and instantiates the designed objects within the newly created database. When working with an Analysis Services database in this manner, changes made to objects in the Analysis Services project take effect only when the project is deployed to an Analysis Services instance. For more information, see Developing and Implementing Using Business Intelligence Development Studio and Solution Deployment (Analysis Services - Multidimensional Data).

  Note

  By default, the Analysis Services project name determines the name of the Analysis Services database that is created when the Analysis Services project is deployed. However, you can specify a different name for the project by changing its Database property. It is sometimes useful to deploy versions of an Analysis Services project to different Analysis Services databases during development for side-by-side testing and comparison. For more information about project properties, see Configuring Analysis Services Project Properties.

• You can create an empty Analysis Services database within an instance of Analysis Services, by using either SQL Server Management Studio or Business Intelligence Development Studio, and then connect directly to that database using Business Intelligence Development Studio and create objects within it (rather than within a project). When working with an Analysis Services database in this manner, changes made to objects take effect in the database to which you are connecting when the changed object is saved.

  Note

  When working with an Analysis Services database in this manner, you cannot view the underlying code for each object and cannot integrate changes with source code control.

Business Intelligence Development Studio uses integration with source control software to support multiple developers working with different objects within an Analysis Services project at the same time. A developer can also interact with an Analysis Services database directly, rather than through an Analysis Services project, but the risk of this is that the objects in an Analysis Services database can become out of sync with the Analysis Services project that was used for its deployment. After deployment, you administer an Analysis Services database by using SQL Server Management Studio. Certain changes can also be made to an Analysis Services database by using SQL Server Management Studio, such as to partitions and roles, which can also cause the objects in an Analysis Services database to become out of sync with the Analysis Services project that was used for its deployment. For more information, see Introducing Business Intelligence Development Studio, Working with Analysis Services Projects and Databases During the Development Phase, Working with Analysis Services Projects and Databases in a Production Environment, Managing Analysis Services Instances, and Security and Protection (Analysis Services - Multidimensional Data).