Procedure
Create
a New Relative Time Shared Dimension
We will begin the procedure for
creating support for relative time periods by adding a new shared dimension, with which we will next
associate calculated members that will perform the aggregations, as we shall
see.
1.
Right-click
the Shared Dimensions folder within the new Relative Time Sample
Analysis Services database.
2.
Select New
Dimension from the context menu that appears.
3.
Select Editor
from the cascading menu that appears next, as depicted in Illustration 41.
The Choose
a Dimension Table dialog appears.
4.
Scroll down in
the Tables pane (left half of the dialog), to locate the relativetime
table in the clone database.
5.
Select the relativetime
table, which we created expressly to support the new relative time
dimension, as shown in Illustration 42.
Illustration 42: Select the
Relativetime Table
6.
Click OK
to accept the selection, and to progress to the Dimension Editor.
7.
From the Schema
tab in the Dimension Editor, drag the relativetime_id field from
within the relativetime table to the left, dropping it onto the <New>
dimension in the tree, as depicted in Illustration 43.
Illustration 43: Drag
the Relativetime_id Field to the New Dimension
Relativetime_Id appears as the first level under
the <New> dimension.
8.
Click <New>
in the Dimension tree to highlight it.
9.
Type Relative
Time into the Name box, on the Basic tab of the Properties
pane.
10. Click the Relativetime_Id
level in the Dimension tree.
11. Replace the Name on the Basic
tab of the Properties pane with the following:
Relative Time
12. Replace the current text in the Member
Name Column box, "relativetime"."relativetime_id",
with the following:
"relativetime"."relativetime_member"
Our changes appear
highlighted in a partial view of the Dimension Editor in Illustration
44.
Illustration 44: Highlighted
Changes in the Dimension Editor (Partial View)
13. Select Tools --> Process Dimension from the main menu within the Dimension
Editor, as depicted in Illustration 45.
Illustration 45: Processing
the New Dimension
14. Click Yes when prompted to
save the dimension.
The Process a
Dimension – Select the processing method dialog appears, with only the Rebuild
the dimension structure option available (this is the first time the
dimension has been processed), as shown in Illustration 46.
Illustration 46: Rebuild
the Dimension Structure is the Sole Option ...
15. Click OK to proceed with
processing.
Processing
begins immediately, and the Process viewer appears, displaying various
logged events. Processing completes, and the viewer presents a green Processing
completed successfully message, as shown in Illustration 47.
Illustration 47:
Indication of Successful Processing Appears (Compact View)
16. Click Close to dismiss the Process
viewer.
17. Select File --> Exit to close the Dimension Editor,
and return to Analysis Manager.
We
now have a Relative Time dimension within which we will concentrate the relative
time capabilities requested by the information consumers. We will add the
new dimension to the Warehouse cube in our next steps, where we will
make other enhancements to the cube structure to complete our addition of relative
time structures.
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