562 attributed reviews in the last 3 years
Refreshingly small course sizes
Outstandingly good courseware
Whizzy online classrooms
Wise Owls only (no freelancers)
Almost no cancellations
We have genuine integrity
We invoice after training
Review 30+ years of Wise Owl
View our top 100 clients
Search our website
We also send out useful tips in a monthly email newsletter ...
Should you use tabular or multi-dimensional SSAS mode? Here's the answer! Part three of a seven-part series of blogs |
---|
If you're building a data warehouse, you'll want to know whether you should be creating cubes using the legacy multi-dimensional Analysis Services server mode, or creating data models in the new tabular mode. This blog gives Wise Owl's take on the subject.
This blog is part of our online SSAS Tabular tutorial; we also offer lots of other Analysis Services training resources. |
Let's start with how to create a tabular model. This isn't meant to be a user guide; instead I'm just trying to give an impression of how easy (or otherwise) the software is to use. You start by importing data:
You can import data from almost any relational database, but also from Excel, CSV files and even from the clipboard.
You can then choose which tables you want to import, and give them friendly names:
Here we've chosen to import 4 tables.
Analysis Services gives a friendly message showing that you've imported (or processed) the tables:
We've successfully loaded data into our model.
You can view your data model in either Grid view:
In grid view, you see one table's data at a time.
Or Diagram view:
In diagram view, you can see how tables are related, and even create new relationships.
You then need to create measures (stating which statistics you want to calculate in your pivot table):
The simplest way to create a measure: this will sum the quantity of sales by product, animal or species.
Finally, you can create a pivot table based on this model:
You can analyse your model in Excel using this menu.
By default you'll get a slightly messy pivot table field list, but it's easy enough to tidy this up:
![]() |
![]() |
What you get by default | After a bit of tidying |
What this shows is that SSAS tabular is full of useful wizards and is built to be easy to use, particularly for anyone who has a background in relational databases.
Bearing the hint above in mind, let's now have a look at the equivalent process for creating a cube in multi-dimensional mode for Analysis Services ...
Some other pages relevant to the above blogs include:
Kingsmoor House
Railway Street
GLOSSOP
SK13 2AA
Landmark Offices
99 Bishopsgate
LONDON
EC2M 3XD
Holiday Inn
25 Aytoun Street
MANCHESTER
M1 3AE
© Wise Owl Business Solutions Ltd 2023. All Rights Reserved.