Introduction

This chapter explains how to build and configure most commonly encountered SQL Server Analysis Services (SSAS) dimensions. Each Analysis Services multidimensional project consists of dimensions and cubes; knowing how to define and customize dimensions is essential for building successful business intelligence solutions. Analysis Services builds data structures based on one or multiple relational data sources. Therefore, before creating dimensions and cubes, you need to define data sources and their corresponding data source views—layers of abstraction between the relational database and Analysis Services objects. After you define data source views, you can create simple dimensions using a dimension wizard and subsequently customize and enhance dimensions as needed using a dimension editor.

SQL Server Data Tools (SSDT) is the primary client tool for developing Analysis Services solutions. In prior versions of SQL Server, the same tool was called Business Intelligence Development...