Chapter 8: CubismMeasures and Dimensions

There is a fifth dimension beyond those known to man. It is a dimension vast as space and timeless as infinity.
—Rod Serling,
Introduction to The Twilight Zone

Overview

We have looked at the basics of cubes with their measures, dimensions, and attributes. We also examined the means of getting information from transactional and other data sources into our data marts. Now let's take a closer look at the way measures and dimensions are implemented in Microsoft SQL Server 2005 Analysis Services.

Analysis Services lets us group measures together. It also enables us to create different types of dimensions. This classification and differentiation makes it easier for users to analyze the data in our cubes. It also makes the cubes easier for us to manage.