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How to Design an OLAP Cube

OLAP stands for Online Analysis Processing. Although that sounds intimidating, an OLAP Cube is actually a fairly simple concept. Imagine a spreadsheet of data in two dimensions. The X-axis shows one data type, such as cars, for example, and the Y-axis shows another related data type, such as years the cars were manufactured. An OLAP Cube is simply a spreadsheet of data with a third dimension, Z, that shows another data type, such as the make of the car. Setting up an OLAP Cube helps you analyze and visualize more complex data for smart decision making.

Things You'll Need

Database
CUBE-IT Zero

Instructions

- 1
  Download and install CUBE-IT Zero, a free OLAP Cube designer and analyzer, from the Resources Section.
- 2
  Open CUBE-IT Zero. Press "Connect to the Source of the Data."
- 3
  Choose one of the options for a database source that matches where you have your database stored, such as in Microsoft Access, Microsoft SQL or MySQL, or Oracle. Type in the username and password associated with the database to let CUBE-IT Zero access it. Press "OK."
- 4
  Press "Design a Database Source Query." Choose the query options to sort the data that is going to be used as the source of the OLAP Cube. Query options are filtering options that are set up already with your database or are selected in CUBE-IT Zero. They are unique to the data you have. For example, if your database shows males of all ages in a city, a query option may be to only include males between the ages of 26 and 50.
- 5
  Press the "Sample" tab at the top of Source Query window to see sample outputs for your query options. Press the "Query Source" tab to return to the options. Press "OK" when you have chosen your query options.
- 6
  Press "Design the Cube Structure." In the Cube Design window, checkmark the fields you wish to measure under the "Measure" column and which fields you wish to analyze those measurements by in the "Dimensions" column. Press "OK" when you are done.
- 7
  Press "Process the Cube" to generate the OLAP cube.

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