Professional SQL Server™ Analysis Services 2005 with MDX

6.2. Creating a Cube using Cube Wizard

Cubes are the principal objects of an OLAP database that help in data analysis. Cubes are multidimensional structures that are primarily composed of dimensions and facts. The data from a fact table that is stored within the cube for analysis are called measures. In Analysis Services 2005 you can store data from multiple fact tables within the same cube. In Chapter 2 you became familiar with the Cube Wizard and in this chapter you see more details of the Cube Wizard followed by refinements to your cube in the Cube Designer.

Similar to the Dimension Wizard you used in Chapter 5, the Cube Wizard facilitates creation of cube objects from the DSV. For this exercise, you continue with the AnalysisServices2005Tutorial project you created in Chapter 5, which contained the dimensions Geography, Employees, and Time. To start with a clean slate, please delete the existing cube Adventure Works DW if it is still there from Chapter 2. To delete, just right click on the cube in Solution Explorer and select Delete. To completely understand the functionality of the Cube wizard follow the steps below to build a new cube.

1. Right-click the Cubes folder and select New Cube, as shown in Figure 6-2. Click Next on the introduction page to proceed.

   Figure 6.2. Figure 6-2

   

2. In the Select Build Method page you have the option to build the cube from an existing data source ...