Module 1: OLAP Review Contents Overview OLAP Databases OLAP Definitions 15 Warehouse Data Flow 22 Review 28 Information in this document is subject to change without notice The names of companies, products, people, characters, and/or data mentioned herein are fictitious and are in no way intended to represent any real individual, company, product, or event, unless otherwise noted Complying with all applicable copyright laws is the responsibility of the user No part of this document may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, for any purpose, without the express written permission of Microsoft Corporation If, however, your only means of access is electronic, permission to print one copy is hereby granted Microsoft may have patents, patent applications, trademarks, copyrights, or other intellectual property rights covering subject matter in this document Except as expressly provided in any written license agreement from Microsoft, the furnishing of this document does not give you any license to these patents, trademarks, copyrights, or other intellectual property  2000 Microsoft Corporation All rights reserved Microsoft, BackOffice, MS-DOS, Windows, Windows NT, are either registered trademarks or trademarks of Microsoft Corporation in the U.S.A and/or other countries Content developed by OLAP Train, Inc for Microsoft Corporation and distributed under license The names of companies, products, people, characters, and/or data mentioned herein are fictitious and are in no way intended to represent any real individual, company, product, or event, unless otherwise noted Other product and company names mentioned herein may be the trademarks of their respective owners BETA MATERIALS FOR MICROSOFT CERTIFIED TRAINER PREPARATION PURPOSES ONLY Module 1: OLAP Review iii Instructor Notes Presentation: 60 Minutes A prerequisite for this course is that students have taken course 2074A, Designing and Implementing OLAP Solutions with Microsoft® SQL Server™ 2000, or have equivalent experience This module is a quick review of essential online analytical processing (OLAP) concepts and terminology that students should already be familiar with if they meet the prerequisite For students who have not met the prerequisite, the information in this module is essential for completing the balance of course 2093 Implementing Business Solutions with MDX in Microsoft SQL Server 2000 After completing this module, students will be able to: ! Understand the basic elements of OLAP databases ! Understand the basic definitions and structures of an OLAP cube ! Understand how data flows through an organization’s analytical processes Materials and Preparation This section provides you with the required materials and preparation tasks that are needed to teach this module Required Materials To teach this module, you need the following materials: ! Microsoft PowerPoint® file 2093A_01.ppt Preparation Tasks To prepare for this module, you should: ! Read all of the materials for this module ! Read the instructor notes and margin notes ! Practice the lecture and demonstration ! Complete the labs ! Review the Trainer Preparation materials on the Trainer Preparation compact disc BETA MATERIALS FOR MICROSOFT CERTIFIED TRAINER PREPARATION PURPOSES ONLY iv Module 1: OLAP Review Instructor Setup for Group Activities and Labs This section provides setup instructions that are required to prepare the instructor computer or classroom configuration for group activities and labs All group activities and labs use the same database setup, which requires restoring a database archive ! To prepare for group activities and labs In this procedure, you restore the Market database, which is a cab file type Start Analysis Manager In the left pane, expand the Microsoft Analysis Services folder Expand the Server icon and verify that the Market database does not exist Right-click the Server icon, and then click Restore Database Navigate to the C:\Moc\2093A\Batches folder Select Market.cab, click Open, and then click Restore If the Market database already exists from a previous group exercise or lab, and cubes in the database contain extraneous information, you can return the Market database and its cubes to a beginning position by either: Deleting any calculated members that were created in a specific cube, and then saving the cube - or Repeating the preceding restore database procedure BETA MATERIALS FOR MICROSOFT CERTIFIED TRAINER PREPARATION PURPOSES ONLY Module 1: OLAP Review v Other Activities Difficult Questions The following are several difficult questions that students may ask you during the delivery of this module and answers to the questions These materials delve into subjects that are in the scope of the module but may not be specifically addressed in the content of the student notes Can you use dimensions in a purely relational database? Yes A relational warehouse can make full use of dimensions Adding an OLAP layer defines the relationship between levels of hierarchies in dimensions and can also improve query performance Do you have to purchase SQL Server in order to use Analysis Services? Yes Analysis Services is bundled with SQL Server However, you can install Analysis Services without using—or installing—SQL Server Is it possible to have a dimension without a hierarchy? All dimensions have at least one hierarchy A hierarchy may consist of a single level—as is the case in the Measures dimension In that case, you may think of the dimension as not having a hierarchy A dimension can have more than one hierarchy, but in most cases, multiple hierarchies within a dimension are simply treated as separate dimensions with similar names Is Measures a dimension? When administering a cube, Measures are treated differently from dimensions When using MDX, Measures is simply a dimension with only one level—and no All level Is a cell that is empty—that is, it has no value—still a cell? Yes The intersection of a member from each dimension forms a cell, whether that cell is populated or not The cell does not take any physical storage space, but a cube is a logical construct and does not reflect the physical storage BETA MATERIALS FOR MICROSOFT CERTIFIED TRAINER PREPARATION PURPOSES ONLY vi Module 1: OLAP Review Module Strategy How you deliver this course is affected by the nature of the module—that is, the materials review basic definitions of OLAP databases and structures that students should already know from the prerequisite course 2074A, Designing and Implementing OLAP Solutions with Microsoft SQL Server 2000, or from previous experience The materials are best presented, therefore, in a didactic format—that is, by questioning students about the definitions and terminologies, then clarifying if the responses are incorrect or vague Use the following strategy to present this module: ! OLAP Databases Review the basic elements of online analytical processing (OLAP) databases, including how they are different from online transaction processing (OLTP) databases and why they are used for reporting and analysis Continue with a description of typical end-user applications and how OLAP functionality is incorporated into Microsoft SQL Server 2000 Use examples from your own experience Ask students for examples of applications that might be OLAP candidates from their experience ! OLAP Definitions Materials in this section are an especially important foundation for working with multidimensional expressions (MDX) syntax Review fundamental OLAP definitions, including organization of dimensions, family relationships, and the organization of a cube ! Warehouse Data Flow Present a view of how data flows through an organization’s analytical processes in some companies Focus on the role that MDX plays in the data flow Then introduce the Sales and other cubes the students will use for most of this course through the group activity demonstration BETA MATERIALS FOR MICROSOFT CERTIFIED TRAINER PREPARATION PURPOSES ONLY Module 1: OLAP Review Overview Topic Objective To provide an overview of the module topics and objectives Lead-in This is a review module You need to understand the basic concepts and definitions in this module to successfully complete the balance of the course ! OLAP Databases ! OLAP Definitions ! Warehouse Data Flow A prerequisite for this course is that you have taken course 2074A, Designing and Implementing OLAP Solutions with Microsoft® SQL Server™ 2000, or have the equivalent experience This module is a quick review of essential online analytical processing (OLAP) concepts and terminology that you should already be familiar with if you meet the prerequisite If you have not met the prerequisite, the information in this module is essential for completing the balance of course 2093A, Implementing Business Logic with MDX in Microsoft SQL Server 2000 After completing this module, you will be able to: ! Understand the basic elements of OLAP databases ! Understand the basic definitions and structures of an OLAP cube ! Understand how data flows through an organization’s analytical processes BETA MATERIALS FOR MICROSOFT CERTIFIED TRAINER PREPARATION PURPOSES ONLY Module 1: OLAP Review # OLAP Databases Topic Objective To introduce this section Lead-in In this section, you will learn the basic elements of online analytical processing (OLAP) databases ! OLTP vs OLAP Databases ! OLAP for Reporting and Analysis ! OLAP Applications ! OLAP in SQL Server In this section, you will learn the basic elements of online analytical processing (OLAP) databases, including how they are different from online transaction processing (OLTP) databases and why they are used for reporting and analysis This section continues with a description of typical end-user applications and how OLAP functionality is incorporated into Microsoft SQL Server 2000 BETA MATERIALS FOR MICROSOFT CERTIFIED TRAINER PREPARATION PURPOSES ONLY Module 1: OLAP Review OLTP vs OLAP Databases Topic Objective To compare OLTP and OLAP databases ! Lead-in OLTP and OLAP databases have many basic differences ! OLTP Databases $ Transaction based $ Real time $ Continuous processing OLAP Databases $ Summarized $ Historical $ Specific processing cycle OLTP databases are characterized by their capabilities for processing online transactions By contrast, OLAP databases are characterized by their capabilities for processing online analysis requests from users OLTP Databases Ask students to give examples of OLTP and OLAP databases from their own businesses OLTP databases are used in business applications that support day-to-day business operations OLTP systems are generally characterized by business activity that: ! Is transaction based You withdraw cash from your account at an automated teller machine (ATM) In the bank’s OLTP database, your withdrawal is a transaction at the lowest level of detail in the bank’s accounting system ! Occurs in real time When you enter the withdrawal request, cash is dispensed, and your account balance is immediately adjusted This is a real-time transaction that is captured in the OLTP database when it occurs ! Is being continuously processed The transaction in your account is recorded when the withdrawal occurs Your account and the accounts of others making deposits and withdrawals are being continuously processed BETA MATERIALS FOR MICROSOFT CERTIFIED TRAINER PREPARATION PURPOSES ONLY Module 1: OLAP Review OLAP Databases By contrast, OLAP databases are used in applications for analyzing and reporting on business operations OLAP systems are generally characterized by data or business activity that: ! Is summarized The bank’s internal reporting systems stored in OLAP databases nearly always contain information that is some level of summarization of individual transactions—for example, the total of customer deposits and withdrawals—as opposed to individual transactions ! Is historical Data is captured and processed for specific time periods, rather than in real time For example, the bank’s reporting of total deposits and withdrawals is only meaningful if summarized by hour, day, week, or month ! Has a specific processing cycle Data is processed on a specific cycle, rather than continuously The bank’s OLAP database, for example, might be loaded and calculated on a daily or weekly schedule Refreshing the database continuously might create ambiguity about the meaning of the data BETA MATERIALS FOR MICROSOFT CERTIFIED TRAINER PREPARATION PURPOSES ONLY Module 1: OLAP Review OLAP in SQL Server Topic Objective To introduce OLAP in SQL Server Lead-in Microsoft is only one of several OLAP vendors ! Microsoft Is One of Several OLAP Vendors ! Analysis Services Is Bundled with Microsoft SQL Server 2000 ! Analysis Services Include $ OLAP engine $ Data mining technology OLAP technology is not unique to Microsoft Several companies distribute OLAP database engines Many companies also sell applications that provide user interfaces that interact with OLAP database engines Such applications are sometimes called client applications Microsoft SQL Server 2000 includes two main OLAP components: the SQL Server database and Microsoft Analysis Services They are both included on the same installation media, but you can install either component without installing the other Two distinct but overlapping tools are included in Analysis Services: ! The OLAP engine and its related components ! A data-mining tool Data mining searches for patterns in large quantities of data Note For detailed information about Analysis Services and its tools, see course 2074A, Designing and Implementing OLAP Solutions with Microsoft SQL Server 2000 Analysis Services includes multiple types of OLAP storage schemes, such as: ! Multidimensional OLAP (MOLAP) Data is stored in and retrieved from cube structures that are separate from the relational database source of information ! Relational OLAP (ROLAP) Data is stored in and retrieved from a relational database ! Hybrid OLAP (HOLAP) Data is stored in and retrieved from a combination of a multidimensional cube and a relational database BETA MATERIALS FOR MICROSOFT CERTIFIED TRAINER PREPARATION PURPOSES ONLY Module 1: OLAP Review # OLAP Definitions Topic Objective To introduce the topics of this section Lead-in This section reviews the role of an OLAP cube in the data flow of a decision support process ! Dimensions and Hierarchies ! Hierarchy Organization ! OLAP Family Relationships ! Cube Organization In this section, you will review fundamental OLAP definitions, including dimensions and hierarchies, hierarchy organization, family relationships, and the organization of cubes BETA MATERIALS FOR MICROSOFT CERTIFIED TRAINER PREPARATION PURPOSES ONLY 10 Module 1: OLAP Review Dimensions and Hierarchies Slide Objective To present the purposes of OLAP dimensions and hierarchies ! Lead-in Dimensions Allow You to $ OLAP dimensions and hierarchies provide the basis for navigating within a cube $ ! Hierarchies Allow You to $ $ Delivery Tip This is a build slide For each second-level bullet an animation illustrates the purpose of that concept Slice Dice Drill Down Drill Up One of the major purposes of an OLAP database is to provide a flexible, intuitive model for browsing data Dimensions and hierarchies provide that flexibility Dimensions Allow You to Slice and Dice A dimension consists of multiple members that can be compared to members of other dimensions A dimension is what enables you to slice and dice data in a cube ! Slicing a cube is similar to slicing a potato You make a single cut When you slice a dimension, you select a single member from that dimension For example, you may want to focus on only a single product, such as Colony Muffins A slice allows you to ignore everything except that one product ! Dicing a cube is similar to dicing a potato You make several cuts in one direction and then several other cuts in a different direction When you dice a cube, you put multiple members from a dimension on an axis and then put multiple members from a different dimension on another axis This allows you to view the interrelationship of members from different dimensions BETA MATERIALS FOR MICROSOFT CERTIFIED TRAINER PREPARATION PURPOSES ONLY Module 1: OLAP Review 11 Hierarchies Allow You to Drill Down and Drill Up Even if a dimension has only a single level—that is, no significant hierarchy— you can still use that dimension to slice and dice the cube All dimensions, however, have a hierarchy, and for most dimensions, the hierarchy consists of multiple levels The multiple levels of a hierarchy allow you to drill up and drill down ! When you drill down on a member of a hierarchy, you see all the children of that member You can drill down one member at a time, or you can drill through all the members of a level at the same time Drilling down allows you to focus on specific data or a possible problem area ! When you drill up on a member or group of members in a hierarchy, you collapse the detail so that you see only the summary information for the parent of those members Drilling up allows you to see a bigger picture with fewer details BETA MATERIALS FOR MICROSOFT CERTIFIED TRAINER PREPARATION PURPOSES ONLY 12 Module 1: OLAP Review Hierarchy Organization Slide Objective State dimension (All) level All level member Country level Country level members To present OLAP hierarchy fundamentals Lead-in OLAP dimensions are the logical equivalent to star schema dimensions Region level Region level members State level State level members Delivery Tip This is a build slide Use the State dimension in the slide to define members and levels Each level appears individually, along with the corresponding tags An OLAP dimension contains a hierarchy Each level of the hierarchy contains members The levels of a hierarchy form a tree structure Specifically, an OLAP dimension contains the hierarchical elements as defined in the following table Dimension Element Definition Member Each discrete value in a dimension at any level within a dimension Levels Groups of dimension members that share a common meaning at the same level in a hierarchy Dimensions Organized levels with members in a tree structure In the preceding illustration, the State dimension has four hierarchical levels: ! (All) level The only member of the (All) level is the All State member ! Country level Members in the Country level include Canada and USA ! Region level Members in the Region level include North West and South West ! State level Members in the State level include Washington, Oregon, and California BETA MATERIALS FOR MICROSOFT CERTIFIED TRAINER PREPARATION PURPOSES ONLY Module 1: OLAP Review 13 Note In most Analysis Services tools, standard icons indicate items in a dimension hierarchy A three-headed arrow represents a dimension Dots indicate levels of a hierarchy, with the number of dots indicating the level’s depth in the hierarchy The All level is indicated by an open box, which you can think of as a zero level An icon that looks like a lollipop or a magnifying glass indicates members BETA MATERIALS FOR MICROSOFT CERTIFIED TRAINER PREPARATION PURPOSES ONLY 14 Module 1: OLAP Review OLAP Family Relationships Topic Objective # USA is the parent of North West and South West North West and South West are children of USA North West and California are descendants of USA North West and USA are ancestors of Washington North West and South West are siblings Oregon and California are cousins # All are dimension members # To review key family relationships in a dimension USA North West Oregon Washington South West California Lead-in OLAP uses family relationship terms to describe how members relate to each other # # # # Delivery Tip Build slide: For each bullet of the list to the right, the colors of the members change—the primary members change to red, and the secondary members change to blue OLAP uses family terms to describe relationships between members and between levels of a dimension In the preceding illustration, the following are family relationships: ! Parent USA is the parent of North West and South West ! Child North West and South West are children of USA ! Descendant All members below USA are its descendants For example, North West and California are two descendants of USA ! Ancestor California has two ancestors, South West and USA USA is the ancestor of South West in addition to being its parent ! Sibling North West and South West are siblings to each other Oregon and Washington are also siblings Siblings share a common parent ! Cousin Oregon and California are cousins Cousins share a common ancestor ! Member Regardless of specific familial relationships, everyone in the greater family is a member BETA MATERIALS FOR MICROSOFT CERTIFIED TRAINER PREPARATION PURPOSES ONLY ... PURPOSES ONLY vi Module 1: OLAP Review Module Strategy How you deliver this course is affected by the nature of the module? ??that is, the materials review basic definitions of OLAP databases and... PURPOSES ONLY Module 1: OLAP Review OLAP in SQL Server Topic Objective To introduce OLAP in SQL Server Lead-in Microsoft is only one of several OLAP vendors ! Microsoft Is One of Several OLAP Vendors... PREPARATION PURPOSES ONLY Module 1: OLAP Review OLAP Databases By contrast, OLAP databases are used in applications for analyzing and reporting on business operations OLAP systems are generally