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Dimensions

A dimension represents a perspective or category through which measures in an OLAP cube are analyzed. Common dimensions include Products, Business Partners, and Dates. Dimensions define how users slice cube data for reporting, filtering, and aggregation.

Within the OLAP Manager, dimensions are organized into Dimension Groups. These groups improve navigation and usability by categorizing dimensions for quicker access, especially when cubes contain multiple dimensions. Dimension groups have no impact on cube functionality — you may use a single group for all dimensions without affecting usability. Before creating a dimension, you must first create a dimension group.

You can refresh dimensions data at any time by clicking Refresh Screen Data in the Options panel.

Add dimensions to a cube​

Make the cube editable​

  1. In the Administration page, select OLAP Manager from the sidebar.
  2. In the cube list, select the cube where you want to create dimensions.
  3. Clear the In Production checkbox.
  4. Click Save.

Create a dimension group​

  1. In the Options panel on the right, click the Navigation icon.
  2. Select Slices.
  3. In the Options panel, click the Add Folder icon.
  4. Enter a group name.
  5. Click Save.

Create a dimension​

  1. In the dimensions list, expand a dimension group.
  2. Click Add.
  3. In the Dimension Properties panel, fill in all required fields.
  4. Click Save.

Dimension properties​

FieldDescription
DescriptionText label identifying the dimension.
Field NameName for the column in the cube table. Use only uppercase letters and avoid SQL keywords. Example: FISCALYEAR
Data Type.NET data type that most closely matches the data source type.
FolderDimension group where the dimension is stored.
PrecisionSize of the data type, if applicable.
ScaleNumber of decimal places for the Decimal data type.
DescriptionFlag indicating whether this dimension is used for description cubes (such as a customer name).

Manage dimension groups​

Edit a dimension group name​

  1. In the dimension list, expand a dimension group.
  2. Modify the group name.
  3. Click Save.

Delete a dimension group​

  1. In the dimension list, expand a dimension group.
  2. Click Delete.
  3. In the confirmation message, select the confirmation option, and then click Yes.

Manage dimensions​

Edit a dimension​

  1. In the dimension list, expand a dimension group.
  2. Select a dimension to open the Dimension Properties panel.
  3. Make the necessary changes.
  4. Click Save.

Delete a dimension​

  1. In the dimension list, expand a dimension group.
  2. Select a dimension to open the Dimension Properties panel.
  3. Click Delete.
  4. In the confirmation message, select the confirmation option, and then click Yes.