SSAS - SQL Server Analysis Services

Last updated Feb 9, 2024

OLAP cubes in Service Manager leverage the existing data warehouse infrastructure to empower end users with self-service business intelligence capabilities.

An OLAP cube is a sophisticated data structure. It transcends the limitations of traditional relational databases by enabling swift data analysis. These cubes excel in aggregating and summarizing vast datasets, while offering searchable access to specific data points. This flexibility allows data to be rolled up, sliced, and diced, accommodating a broad spectrum of queries pertinent to the user’s interests.

Software vendors and IT developers, versed in OLAP cubes, can craft management packs. These packs enable the creation of customizable OLAP cubes built atop the data warehouse infrastructure. Stored within SQL Server Analysis Services (SSAS), these cubes become focal points for self-service business intelligence tools like Excel and SQL Server Reporting Services (SSRS). They facilitate multi-dimensional data analysis.

Contrastingly, online transaction processing (OLTP) databases are the repositories for everyday business transactions and records. While they are rich in detail, these databases aren’t inherently structured for analysis, making data retrieval a time-intensive task. OLAP databases, however, are specifically designed to extract business intelligence efficiently from these records.

OLAP cubes represent the capstone of a data warehousing solution. Envisioned as multidimensional or hypercubes, these structures in SSAS are crafted using OLAP databases for rapid data analysis. The system’s topology is depicted below.

See more on OLAP vs OLTP.

Stable release: Analysis Services 2016 / December 21, 2010

Origin:
References: SAP OLAP
Created