21.
Click OK to accept
settings and to dismiss the Connection Manager.
We are returned to the Select how to define the connection page
of the Data Source Wizard, which appears, with our definition pre-selected,
as shown in Illustration
18.
Illustration 18: Select
How to Define Connection Page, with Our Definition Pre-selected
22.
Click Next.
23.
Click the Service account
radio button, to select it, on the Impersonation Information page that
appears next, as depicted in Illustration 19.
Illustration
19: Select Service Account Credentials ...
The Completing
the Wizard page of the Data Source Wizard appears, as shown
in Illustration 20.
Illustration 20: Completing
the Wizard Page of the Data Source Wizard
We will leave the Data
Source Name at default, and complete the Data Source Wizard
at this point.
We are
returned to the Select a Data Source page of the Linked Object Wizard,
which appears, with our new data source definition pre-selected, as depicted in
Illustration 21.
Illustration 21: Select
a Data Source Page of the Linked Object Wizard
We move
to the Select Objects page of the Linked Object Wizard. It is
here that we make our choice among the options available for linked objects.
Scrolling down as necessary, click-select the checkboxes for the Sales
Reason dimension, and then the Sales Reason measure group,
containing the Sales Reason Count measure, as shown in Illustration
22.
Illustration 22: Select
Objects Page of the Linked Objects Wizard, with Our Input
We arrive
at the Completing the Wizard page, where we see our selection of linked
objects, as depicted in Illustration 23.
Illustration 23: Completing
the Wizard Page of the Linked Object Wizard
The Linked
Object Wizard is dismissed, and we are returned to the Cube Designer,
where we see the newly linked Sales Reasons measure group, as shown in Illustration
24.
Illustration 24: The
Cube Designer with Newly Linked Measure Group and Dimension
29.
Click the Dimension
Usage tab.
Here we
can see the new dimension and measure group currently displayed, as depicted in
Illustration 25.
Illustration 25: The
Dimension Usage Tab Displays the Newly Linked Dimension and Measure Group
And so we
see that linking dimension and measure groups is a snap with the Linked
Object Wizard. All that remains at this point is to reprocess the cube and
to proceed with adding our new dimension and measure group into
our analysis and reporting efforts.
We can leverage linked objects under many flexible scenarios,
and enjoy the multiple benefits we have enumerated, within our own business
environments, as easily as we have done in our practice session. Linked
objects rank highly among a host of design enhancements in Analysis
Services 2005.
Conclusion
In this article, we examined linked objects in Analysis
Services 2005. We reviewed the general concepts that underlie linked
dimensions and measure groups, including how they can be useful
within our support of analysis and reporting within the enterprise. After
several preparatory steps, where we created an environment with which to
perform the steps of our practice session, we next got some exposure to the
hands-on addition of a related linked dimension and measure group
pair within a sample, basic cube.
Throughout our procedure, we demonstrated the ease with which we
can add linked objects to the cubes in our individual business
environments. Moreover, we discussed other considerations that surround the
decision to use linked objects, as well as their selection, addition and
use in general.
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