Understanding dimensions

After the data source view has been created, it is time to really get into the multidimensional modeling by creating the first dimension. This is the part where you really need to start thinking about how the data will look to an end user. Up until this task, nothing that you have done will actually be seen directly by the end user when browsing the cube. But the dimensions that you create are fundamental to the usability of your cube.

The dimension is used when slicing the measures in the fact table. In the example that we are using here, we have the five dimensions with different attributes on them. When we add dimensions to the database, they can be shared by cubes in the database. Dimensions are objects that belong to the Analysis Services database and you can and should reuse them if you have several cubes or fact tables in your data warehouse.

A dimension can also be connected to the fact table several times, this is called a role-playing dimension. You have...