Create New Attributes within the Product Dimension upon Which to Establish Unknown Member Management within
the Supporting Properties
In the next procedural steps, we
will add two new attributes, Product Category and Product Subcategory,
to the Product dimension, basing these attributes upon tables that we
will add into the data source view that supports our cube. We will then
establish Unknown Member properties to meet the expressed business
requirements of our client, among other structural adjustments we will perform
for this purpose.
1.
Click the Browser
tab within the Dimension Designer for the Product dimension.
2.
As necessary,
select Product Model Lines within the Hierarchy list atop the Browser
tab, as shown in Illustration 10.
Illustration
10: Selecting the Product Model Lines Hierarchy ...
3.
Expand All
Products within the Browser by clicking the “+” sign that appears to
its immediate left.
We note the appearance of five children of the All
Products level of the Product Model Lines hierarchy.
4.
Expand the Components
member of the Product Line level.
The
children of the Components Product Line level (themselves representing
the Model Name level of the hierarchy), including an unlabeled
member, appear as depicted in Illustration 11.
Illustration
11: The Model Name Level, Including Unlabeled Member
5.
Expand the
unlabeled member, appearing among the Components children (itself a
member of the of the Model Name level of the Products Model Lines hierarchy).
The
children of the unlabeled member, representing assembly components used to build our clients products, appear as partially shown in Illustration 12.
Illustration
12: Children of the Unlabeled Member (Partial View)
Having reviewed the currently existing Product
dimension, Product Model Lines hierarchy, we are ready to add the new Product
Category and Product Subcategory attributes requested by our client
colleagues. To begin, we will transit to the Data Source View
underlying our cube.
6.
Click the Dimension
Structure tab within the Dimension Designer for the Product dimension.
7.
Right-click an
unoccupied area within the Data Source View pane of the Dimension
Structure tab.
8.
Select Edit
Data Source View from the context menu that appears, as depicted in Illustration
13.
Illustration
13: Editing the Data Source View ...
The Data Source View Designer opens.
9.
Select Reseller
Sales within the Diagram Organizer pane in the upper left corner of
the Data Source View Designer tab.
10.
From the main
menu, select Data Source View.
11.
Select Add/Remove
Tables ... from the menu that appears, as shown in Illustration 14.
Illustration
14: Adding Tables to the Data Source View ...
12.
Within the Add/Remove
Tables dialog that opens next, select dbo.DimProduct within the
Included objects list on the right side of the dialog.
13.
Click the Add
Related Tables button underneath the Included objects list, as
depicted in Illustration 15.
Illustration
15: Adding DimProduct-related Tables ...
14.
Leaving the
newly added dbo.DimProductSubcategory table selected (it was selected by
default), click Add Related Tables again.
Both the dbo.DimProductSubcategory
and the dbo.DimProductCategory tables are now added to the Included
objects list of the Add/Remove Tables dialog, as shown in Illustration
16.
Illustration
16: The Newly Added Tables in the Included Objects List
15.
Click OK
to accept the newly added tables, and to dismiss the Add/Remove Tables
dialog.
16.
On the main menu,
select Format.
17.
Select Auto
Layout from the Format menu.
18.
Click Diagram
on the cascading menu that appears next, as depicted in Illustration 17.
Illustration
17: Select Format -> Auto Layout -> Diagram
The tables appear in diagram format, where we can see the
joins that are established between the dbo.DimProductSubcategory and dbo.DimProductCategory
tables. The newly added tables are also joined, via the Product table,
to the ResellerSales table. The diagram appears similar to that shown
in Illustration 18.
Illustration
18: The Tables in Diagram Format
19.
Return to Dimension
Designer for the Product dimension by clicking the Product
tab atop the design environment.
20.
Click the Dimension
Structure tab, if necessary.
21.
Right-click an
unoccupied point within in the Data Source View pane at the right of the
tab.
22.
Click Show
All Tables on the context menu that appears, as depicted in Illustration
19.
Illustration
19: Select Show All Tables ...
The tables appear in diagram format, where we can see the
joins once again, within another view, as shown in Illustration 20.
Illustration
20: Another Diagram View of the (Relevant) Tables
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