Chapter 15 DBMS-Specific Features

Generating cubes

The Microsoft SQL Server 2005 Analysis Services add-in enables the generation of cubes.

Before generating cubes, you must define a data source with an OLE DB connection that will specify from where the cubes will be populated.

To specify a data source for a cube:

1. Create a data source in your PDM from the List of data sources or by right-clicking the model in the browser and selecting New →Data Source from the contextual menu.
2. Select the OLE DB tab and specify the kind of data provider
   
3. Click the ellipsis tool to the right of the connection string field to open the provider-specific configuration dialog.
   
4. Complete the parameters appropriately, click Apply to Connection String, and then Test Connection. Then click Ok to return to the data source property sheet.
5. Click OK to return to your model.

When you have created the appropriate data sources, you can proceed with generating your cubes.

To generate cubes:

1. Select Tools→Microsoft SQL Server 2005 Analysis Services→Generate Cubes to open the wizard.
   
   
   Click Next to continue.
2. Enter a server name, and select the database you want to generate to:
   
   
   Click Next to continue.
3. The Select Cubes page lists the cubes available in the model, along with whether they currently exist in the database. Select the cubes you want to generate:
   
   
   Click Next to continue.
4. The Generate Cubes page lists the cubes to be generated:
   
   
   Click Finish to begin generation. Progress is displayed in the wizard, which will close automatically after successful completion.
   
   If a cube already exists in the database, it is dropped and recreated. If a related dimension already exists, it is reused. To fully generate a cube, your model must include a complete mapping to a table.

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