Introduction to SQL Server 2000 Analysis Services: Working with the Cube Editor

8.      Add the following dimensions to the Dimensions folder, by dragging each from the Sales_Fact_1997 table onto the folder, in the following order:

• time_id
• customer_id
• product_id

Illustration 16: The Dimensions Folder with Newly Added Dimensions

The dimensions that we have added are private dimensions, meaning that they belong to this cube only. Now let's make some adjustments to the measure and dimension properties, simply to illustrate them, as well as to refresh our memories, in some cases, of several member properties attributes.

9.      Click the Time Id dimension to select it in the cube tree.

10.  Click Properties beneath the tree pane to display the properties of the Time Id dimension.

11.  Click the Basic tab in the Properties pane.

12.  Rename the dimension to Calendar.Time.

The Basic tab of the Properties pane for the Calendar.Time dimension appears as shown below:

Illustration 17: Calendar.Time Dimension, Properties Pane, Basic Tab

13.  Click the Time Id level underneath the Calendar.Time dimension to select it in the cube tree.

14.  Ensure the Basic tab in the Properties pane is selected.

15.  Rename the level to Calendar Time (note that the delimiter "." is not allowed here).

The Basic tab of the Properties pane for the single Time level appears as shown below:

Illustration 18: Time Level, Properties Pane, Basic Tab

16.  Click the Calendar.Time dimension again to select it in the cube tree.

17.  Click the Advanced tab in the Properties pane.

18.  Modify the All Caption to read All Calendar Time.

The Advanced tab of the Properties pane for the Calendar.Time dimension appears as shown below:

Illustration 19: Calendar.Time Dimension, Properties Pane, Advanced Tab

19.  Complete steps 34 through 43 above, for each of the other two dimensions, Customer Id and Product Id, to rename the dimensions (and their associated single underlying levels) to Customer and Product, respectively, on the Basic tabs of the associated Properties panes.

20.  Modify the All Caption fields on the Advanced tab in the Properties panes for Customer and Product to read All Customers and All Products, respectively.

The cube tree should appear as shown below:

Illustration 20: Cube Tree, Reflecting Modifications of Customer and Product Dimension (and Associated Levels) Names

Keep in mind that the dimensions we have defined are private dimensions. Because private dimensions (and the associated dimension levels) are defined for the individual cube, they are created/modified, as we have seen above, using the cube editor. We in essence must be "inside" the cube with the editor to readily see the private dimensions exposed in the cube tree.

We will process the cube at this stage.

Page 7: Processing the Cube

See All Articles by Columnist William E. Pearson, III