Expert Cube Development with Microsoft SQL Server 2008

Designing the Data
Warehouse for Analysis
Services
The focus of this chapter is how to design a data warehouse specifically for
Analysis Services. There are numerous books available that explain the theory
of dimensional modeling and data warehouses; our goal here is not to discuss
generic data warehousing concepts but to help you adapt the theory to the needs
of Analysis Services.
In this chapter we will touch on just about every aspect of data warehouse design,
and mention several subjects that cannot be analyzed in depth in a single chapter.
Some of these subjects, such as Analysis Services cube and dimension design, will
be covered in full detail in later chapters. Others, which are outside the scope of this
book, will require further research on the part of the reader.
The source database
Analysis Services cubes are built on top of a database, but the real question is: what
kind of database should this be?
We will try to answer this question by analyzing the different kinds of databases we
will encounter in our search for the best source for our cube. In the process of doing
so we are going to describe the basics of dimensional modeling, as well as some of
the competing theories on how data warehouses should be designed.
Download at Boykma.Com