Hi

I'm trying to learn SSAS and I'm haveing big problems with time
dimensions. In 2k Analysis Services, I simply created a Time dimension
from a single date column in my fact table (e.g. Invdate which held a
date/time field typically 30/07/2004). I could then select the time
levels I wanted (year,quarter,month etc.) and the Wizard would happily
generate a time dimension for me. I cannot find any way of doing the
same thing inn SSAS without having to first create a table containing
all the levels myself first. Is this true, or am I being incredibly
stupid or missing something? It now seems to be incredibly difficult to
create a time dimension where it used to be the work of a few minutes.

Could someone please point me in the right direction?

Another feature which has vanished is the ability to enter a Source
Table Filter in the cube designer. Are all the changes from 2k to 2k5
designed to make everything more difficult, if not impossible?

As you may know, there have been major changes made between AS 2000 and
AS 2005, including in the front-end developer interface. So starting
with a knowledge of AS 2000 can be a mized blessing, since you can't
assume that there is a direct equivalent to each feature in Analysis
Manager. There will be some learning curve, but the AS 2005 tutorials
should walk you through the new features

If you don't wish to use your own time dimension table, how about the
server time dimension option:

http://msdn2.microsoft.com/en-us/lib...S,SQL.90).aspx

A time dimension in Microsoft SQL Server 2005 Analysis Services (SSAS)
can be based either on a table in a data source view or on a date range.
A time dimension that is based on a table is really no different from
any other standard dimension. Its attributes are bound to columns of a
dimension table just like any other standard dimension.

In contrast, a range-based time dimension is typically used when there
is no separate time table to define time periods. Attributes of a
range-based time dimension have time-attribute bindings, which define
the attributes according to specified time periods such as Years,
Months, Weeks, or Days. Because the data for a range-based time
dimension is created and stored on the server instead of coming from any
table in the data source, a range-based time dimension is called a
server time dimension.
...

As far as filters on cube schema source tables, a Data Source View lets
you substitute Named Queries for tables, allowing appropriate filtering
to be incorporated:

http://msdn2.microsoft.com/en-us/lib...S,SQL.90).aspx

You can use the Create Named Query dialog box in Data Source View
Designer to add a named query to a data source view. A named query is a
SQL expression represented as a table.

In a named query, you can specify an SQL expression to select rows and
columns returned from one or more tables in one or more data sources. A
named query is like any other table in a data source view with rows and
relationships, except that the named query is based on an expression.
The expression appears and behaves as a table in the data source view.
When you create a named query, you specify a name, the SQL query
returning the columns and data for the table, and optionally, a
description of the named query. The SQL expression can refer to other
tables in the data source view.
...

- Deepak

Deepak Puri
Microsoft MVP - SQL Server

*** Sent via Developersdex http://www.developersdex.com ***

Thanks for your response, I realise I can use a query to incorporate a
filter, it's just a little more complex. The time issue, however, is
much more serious. As I understand it, I can't use the 'Add Business
Intelligence' wizard to add YTD, moving period, etc to a time dimension
if I use a server time dimension, and if I don't use a server time
dimension, I have to create an entire table with year, quarter, month,
etc. columns just to have a time dimension. My point is that I didn't
have to do anything like that in AS2000, it was a very simple process,
and I could 'Add Business Intelligence' in a matter of minutes. Why has
this simple functionality been removed? I would imagine that 95% of
cubes use time dimensions, and it is now considerably more difficult to
design them. A big step backward. I am currently trying my hardest to
use AS and Reporting Services to replace Cognos as our BI tool, and I
was getting close to success with AS2000, but now I feel I will be
further away if I try to use AS2005. By the way, Cognos doesn't require
time dimension tables, it works in exactly the same way as AS2000.

Cheers

Sam