Retrieving cube data

OLAP queries are built based on a cube of multidimensional data. To create a new OLAP query you first must select and open a cube of data, then select the information from the cube that you want to view.

About this task

All the data cubes that are available for your use are listed in your workspace.

To retrieve cube data for an OLAP query:

Procedure

  1. Open the Create New OLAP Query wizard.
  2. On the Select a data source page, select the multidimensional data source where the cube that contains your data resides. Click Next.
  3. The Select a cube page of the wizard opens. The cubes that are available on the data source are displayed in the Cube models and cubes list. Select a cube from the list. Click Finish.

    The cube information is retrieved and displayed in layout format in the editor window. In the layout format, the Cube Structure tree lists the dimensions and measures that are available in the cube and the Query Structure tree lists the dimensions and measures that are selected for the OLAP query of the cube.

    You modify the dimensions and measures that are listed in the Query Structure tree to build your OLAP query and obtain different views of the cube data. The structure of the OLAP query is also displayed in the Outline view.

  4. When an OLAP query is open in the editor window, you can select one of the following tabs:
    • Results to open the Results page which displays the results of the current OLAP query. When you select the results tab, the OLAP query is rerun to update the results. You can use the Outline view and Results page to build OLAP queries dynamically.
    • Filter to open the Filter page where you can filter the dimensions and measures that will be retrieved from the cube.
    • MDX to open the MDX page which displays the MDX statements for the OLAP query. You can modify the MDX for the OLAP query.
    • SQL to open the SQL page which displays the SQL statements for the OLAP query. This is a read only view of the SQL that was created for the OLAP query. This page is only available if the multidimensional data source uses the SQL-based API to view the SQL that has been created for the OLAP query.
    • Results XML to open the XML page that displays the XML results for the OLAP query from the multidimensional data source.

      This is a read-only view of the XML created for the OLAP query. This tab is available if the multidimensional data source works with XML for Analysis (XMLA).

    • Layout to open the Layout page which displays all the dimensions and measures that are included in the cube and the dimensions and measures that are included in the current OLAP query. You use the Layout page to build an OLAP query offline.