BIAnalytix Tip Summary: Role Playing Dimension

In the data warehouse world, often times, fact tables can have multiple relationships to the same dimension. A prime example of this is a fact table’s multiple relationships to a date dimension or in the case of the media industry a fact table’s multiple relationships to an account executives dimension. Each relationship can be used to analyze business in different ways. Extending these relationships to an OLAP cube is very simple when using the concept of role playing dimensions.

Role playing dimensions provide powerful and flexible analysis without creating more work or overhead. Another way of thinking of a role playing dimension is simply a copy of a dimension. In a simple scenario you might have a fact table full of invoices. On that fact table you may have two dates, an activity date of when that data was loaded and an invoice date, the date an invoice was created. Aggregating money by either of these relationships provides two different results and further more have two different business applications. A typical OLAP cube always has a date dimension and that dimension can have one relationship to a given measure group. Microsoft SQL Server Analysis Services 2005 and older provides the ability to simply copy a dimension, rename it, and create the second relationship to the fact table.

This concept of copying dimensions and reusing them to create different relationships falls in line with Microsoft best practices as it provides several benefits. Development work is drastically reduced when creating multiple relationships as dimensions don’t have to be created multiple times. Another key benefit is that storage space is also saved by not having multiple identical physical structures, but instead having virtual copies of a single physical dimension inside the cube.

BIAnalytix is an enterprise class BI system that utilizes concepts such as role playing dimensions to provide high performance and flexible BI Solutions.

© Copyright 2012, Decentrix Inc. All rights reserved.
Decentrix Inc. 1200 17th Street, Suite 200, Denver, Colorado, 80202 Phone: 303-899-4000  
 
 Decentrix Website Solution & Collaborative Intranet Tools   |   DishOnTheWeb.com by Decentrix, Dish Network Retailer Solutions
Afftraq Affiliate Sales Tracking Solution   |  HotDesk, Superior Website & Intranets for Small to Medium Size Business

Home Products Solutions Consulting Education Blog News Contact Company Webcast BIAnalytix Media Data Warehouse CloudMBI - BIAnalytix in the cloud MDM Mapper Mobility Apps BIAnalytix Media Data Warehouse BIAnalytix Architecture BIAnalytix Features Microsoft BI Toolset CloudMBI Data Warehouse CloudMBI Architecture CloudMBI Features Windows Azure Platform Advertising Agency Television Radio Cable Network Cable MSO IPTV Satellite Operator Publishing Power of KPIs Case Studies White Papers Educational Videos FAQs Press Releases Interviews Management Team Careers Management Team