The Unified Dimensional Model


Central to the architecture is the concept of the Unified Dimensional Model (UDM) which, by the way, is unique to this release of the product. UDM, as the name suggests, provides you with a way to encapsulate access to multiple heterogeneous data sources into a single model. In fact, with the UDM, you will be buffered from the difficulties previously presented by multiple data sources. Those difficulties were often associated with cross-data-source calculations and queries — so, do not be daunted by projects with lots of disparate data sources. The UDM can handle it! The UDM itself is more than a multiple data-source cube on steroids; it actually defines the relational schema upon which your cubes and dimensions are built. Think of the UDM as providing you with the best of the OLAP and relational worlds. UDM provides you with the rich metadata needed for analyzing and exploring data along with the functionality like the complex calculations and aggregations of the OLAP world. It supports complex schemas, and is capable of supporting ad-hoc queries that are needed for reporting in the relational world. Unlike the traditional OLAP world that allows you to define a single fact table within a cube, the UDM allows you to have multiple fact tables. The UDM is your friend and helps you have a single model that will support all your business needs. Figure 1-9 shows a UDM within Analysis Services 2005 that retrieves data from heterogeneous data sources and serves various types of clients.

image from book
Figure 1-9

Key elements of the UDM are as follows:

  • Heterogeneous data access support: UDM helps you to integrate and encapsulate data from heterogeneous data sources. It helps you combine various schemas into a single unified model that gives end users the capability of sending queries to a single model.

  • Real-time data access with high performance: The UDM provides end users with real-time data access. The UDM creates a MOLAP cache of the underlying data. Whenever there are changes in the underlying relational database, a new MOLAP cache is built. When users query the model, it provides the results from the MOLAP cache. During the time the cache is being built, results are retrieved from the relational database. UDM helps in providing real-time data access with the speed of an OLAP database due to the MOLAP cache. This feature is called proactive caching. You learn more about proactive caching in Chapter 17.

  • Rich metadata, ease of use for exploration, and navigation of data: UDM provides a consolidated view of the underlying data sources with the richness of metadata provided by the OLAP world. Due to rich metadata supported by OLAP, end users are able to exploit this metadata to navigate and explore data in support of making business decisions. UDM also provides you with the ability to view specific sections of the unified model based on your business analysis needs.

  • Rich analytics support: In addition to the rich metadata support, the UDM provides you with the ability to specify complex calculations to be applied to the underlying data; in this way you can embed business logic. You can specify the complex calculations by a script-based calculation model using the language called MDX (Multi-Dimensional eXpressions). UDM provides rich analytics such as Key Performance Indicators and Actions that help in understanding your business with ease and automatically take appropriate actions based on changes in data.

  • Model for Reporting and Analysis: The UDM provides the best functionality for relating to both relational and OLAP worlds. UDM provides you with the capability of not only querying the aggregated data that are typically used for analysis, but also has the ability to provide for detailed reporting up to the transaction level across multiple heterogeneous data sources.

Another handy aspect of using the UDM is the storage of foreign language translations for both data and metadata. This is handled seamlessly by the UDM such that a connecting user gets the metadata and data of interest customized to his or her locale. Of course, somebody has to enter those translations into the UDM in the first place; it is not actually a foreign language translation system.



Professional SQL Server Analysis Services 2005 with MDX
Professional SQL Server Analysis Services 2005 with MDX (Programmer to Programmer)
ISBN: 0764579185
EAN: 2147483647
Year: 2004
Pages: 176

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