Populating OLAP DML Data Objects, 2 of 6

Overview: Populating an Analytic Workspace

Process: Populating an analytic workspace

To use an analytic workspace, there must be data in it. There are two basic types of data: fact data and dimensions. Fact data is stored in variable workspace objects; dimensions, containing dimension members, are stored in dimension workspace objects.

Variables and dimensions can be populated:

By loading data from the relational database. For example, you might load sales fact data into a variable from a sale fact table, load time dimension members from a time dimension table, custom dimension members from a customer dimension table, and product dimension members from a product dimension table.
As the result of a calculation. For example, a sales forecast variable might be populated using the results of a forecasting function.
As an alternative to loading data from the relational database, you can load data from a flat file using data loaders controlled through the OLAP DML.

There are other types of workspace objects that are discussed later in this guide. Like variables and dimensions, this objects must also be populated from the relational database, as the result of a calculation, or from a flat file.

Process: Populating data objects in an analytic workspace

To explicitly populate the source data objects in an analytic workspace, take the following steps:

Specify the values for each dimension. These values provide indexes to the actual data, which is stored in the analytic workspace's variables.
Specify the values for each relation. These values indicate the relationships between dimensions.
For variables that provide the source data for your application, specify the actual data values.

You can populate an analytic workspace using programs written using the OLAP DML's SQL commands and data loading commands.

OLAP DML commands that populate source data objects

The OLAP DML commands that you typically use to populate source data objects are listed in the following table.

Command

Description

=

Assigns the results of an expression to a variable, option, or relation; or assigns the result of a model to a variable or, when the result is numeric, to a dimension value. For more information, see "Assigning Values to Data Objects", "Definition: Solution variable", and the topic for the EQUAL command in the OLAP DML Reference.

MAINTAIN

Adds, deletes, renames, moves, or merges values in a dimension; and adds, deletes, and merges values in a composite. For more information, see "Maintaining Dimensions and Composites" and the topic for the command in the OLAP DML Reference.

FILEREAD

Stores the data that is read from an input file into a dimension, composite, relation, or variable. For more information, see Chapter 11 and the topic for the command in the OLAP DML Reference.

SQL

Retrieves data from a relational database into a dimension or variable. For more information, see Chapter 10 and the topic for the command in the OLAP DML Reference.

IMPORT

Copies the data and definitions from one analytic workspace into another. For more information, see the topic for the command in the OLAP DML Reference.

Command	Description
=	Assigns the results of an expression to a variable, option, or relation; or assigns the result of a model to a variable or, when the result is numeric, to a dimension value. For more information, see "Assigning Values to Data Objects", "Definition: Solution variable", and the topic for the EQUAL command in the OLAP DML Reference.
MAINTAIN	Adds, deletes, renames, moves, or merges values in a dimension; and adds, deletes, and merges values in a composite. For more information, see "Maintaining Dimensions and Composites" and the topic for the command in the OLAP DML Reference.
FILEREAD	Stores the data that is read from an input file into a dimension, composite, relation, or variable. For more information, see Chapter 11 and the topic for the command in the OLAP DML Reference.
SQL	Retrieves data from a relational database into a dimension or variable. For more information, see Chapter 10 and the topic for the command in the OLAP DML Reference.
IMPORT	Copies the data and definitions from one analytic workspace into another. For more information, see the topic for the command in the OLAP DML Reference.