Expert Cube Development with SSAS Multidimensional Models

Data modeling for Analysis Services

We will now have a look at some of the concepts of data modeling such as tables and schemas.

Fact tables and dimension tables

At the core of the data mart structure is the separation of the entire database into two distinct types of data structures:

• Dimension: A dimension is the major analytical object in the BI space. A dimension can be a list of products or customers, time, geography, or any other entity used to analyze numeric data. Dimensions are stored in dimension tables.

  Dimensions have attributes. An attribute of a product may be its color, its manufacturer, or its weight. An attribute of a date may be simply its weekday or its month.

  Dimensions have both natural and surrogate keys. The natural key is the ...