Microsoft SQL Server 2005 Analysis Services

Microsoft SQL Server Analysis Services provides fast access to data by means of multidimensional data structures and the multidimensional query languag MDX. Analysis Services provides the capability to design, create, and manage multidimensional cubes based on data warehouse tables, and it serves as the foundation for the Microsoft Business Intelligence strategy.

Microsoft SQL Server 2005 Analysis Services gives the reader insight into the way Analysis Services functions. It not only explains ways to design and create multidimensional objects, databases, dimensions, and cubes, but also provides invaluable information about the reasons behind design decisions made by the development team.

Here's what you will find inside:

• Understand the key concepts of multidimensional modeling
• Explore the multidimensional object model and its definition language
• Learn the main concepts of the MDX language and gain an in-depth understanding of advanced MDX concepts
• Understand the mechanisms of integrating multidimensional and relational databases
• Learn how to build client applications to access data in Analysis Services
• Examine server architecture, including main data structures, data processing, and query resolution algorithms
• Gain a deep understanding of the internal and external protocols for data transfer, including the XML/A protocol
• Explore how Analysis Services manages memory
• Explore the security model, including role-based security, code-access security, and data security
• Discover how to monitor and manage Analysis Services

All the code for the sample database used in the book can be found at www.informit.com/title/0672327821.

Edward Melomed is one of the original members of the Microsoft SQL Server Analysis Services team. He arrived in Redmond as a part of Microsoft's acquisition of Panorama Software Systems, Inc., which led to the technology that gave rise to Analysis Services 2005. He works as a program manager and plays a major role in the infrastructure design for the Analysis Services engine.

Irina Gorbach is a senior software designer on the Analysis Services team, which she joined soon after its creation nine years ago. During her time at Microsoft, Irina has designed and developed many features, was responsible for client subsystems OLEDB and ADOMD.NET, and was in the original group of architects that designed the XML for Analysis specification. Recently she has been working on the architecture and design of calculation algorithms.

Alexander Berger was one of the first developers to work on OLAP systems at Panorama. After it was acquired by Microsoft, he led the development of Microsoft OLAP Server through all its major releases. He is one of the architects of OLEDB for the OLAP standard and MDX language, and holds more than 30 patents in the area of multidimensional databases.

Py Bateman is a technical writer at Microsoft. She originally hails from Texas, which was considered a separate country on the multinational Analysis Services team.