Features of SQL Server Analysis Services

Question

Briefly describe the new features of SQL Server 2005 Analysis Services (or SSAS)?

Answer 1

• It permits interoperability through Microsoft office 2007.
• It alleviates data mining by permitting good data mining algorithms and facilitates good extrapolative analysis.
• Facilitates a quicker query time and data refresh rates.
• Improved tools – the business intelligence development studio assimilated in visual studio permits to insert data mining in the development tool box.
• Designers and New wizards for all chief objects.
• Facilitates a new Data Source View (or DSV) object that facilitates an abstraction layer on top of the data source stipulating which tables from the source are accessible.

Unified Dimensional Model : - This model states the entities employed in the business, the business logic employed to metrics, implement and computations. This model is employed by various analytical applications, spreadsheets and so on for verification of the reports data.

Data Source View : - The UML employing the data source view is mapped to a broad array of back end data sources. This facilitates a widespread picture of the business irrespective of the position of data. With the new Data source view designer, an extremely user friendly interface is facilitates for exploring and navigation the data.

New aggregation features : - Previous analysis services aggregate features such as COUNT, SUM, DISTINCT and so forth were not appropriate for all business wants. For illustration, financial organizations can’t employ aggregate features such as COUNT or SUM or identifying the first and the last record. New aggregate features such as FIRST CHILD, LAST CHILD, LAST NON-EMPTY and FIRST NON-EMPTY features are established.

Querying tools : - A boosted query and browsing tool permits drag and drop dimensions and evaluates to the viewing pane of a cube. MDX queries and data mining extensions (or DMX) can as well be written. The new tool is simpler and automatically alerts for any syntax mistakes.