Attribute Member Keys - Pt 1: Introduction and Simple Keys - Page 5

Conclusion

In this, the first half of a two-part article introducing Attribute Member Keys, we continued our recent group of articles focusing upon dimensional model components, with an objective of discussing the associated concepts, and of providing hands-on exposure to the properties supporting them. We reviewed our initial introduction to the dimensional model and summarized its role in meeting the primary objectives of business intelligence. Next, we provided a brief overview of dimension attributes in general, referencing a subseries of articles, within my Introduction to MSSQL Server Analysis Services series, where we explore the properties underlying them in detail.

We then began our exploration of Attribute Member Keys. First, we discussed the three Attribute usage types that we can define within a containing dimension. We then narrowed our focus to the Key attribute usage type (a focus that we develop throughout Parts I and II of this article), discussing its role in meeting our business intelligence needs. We next followed with a discussion of the role of the Key attribute from a technical perspective, including its purpose within a containing dimension within Analysis Services.

We then introduced the concepts of simple and composite keys, narrowing our exploration in this half of the article to the former. We reviewed the Properties associated with a simple key, based upon the examination of a representative dimension attribute, Geography, within our sample UDM. Finally, we looked ahead to Part II, where we explore the Properties associated with a composite key.

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