Microsoft® SQL Server® 2008 Analysis Services Step by Step

Creating a Parent-Child Dimension

A parent-child dimension is distinguished by the fact that it contains a hierarchy based on a recursive relationship. The hierarchical relationship between superior and subordinate employees is a common example of a recursive relationship. An employee who is a frontline worker will have a supervisor who is also an employee. The supervisor will have a manager who is an employee and the manager will have a director who is an employee. The director has an executive assistant who has no subordinates.

The recursive employee relationships of an organization can be modeled using an Employee dimension table that has one record for each employee. The primary key of the table is the EmployeeKey column, which contains a unique ...