Aggregating Data

What does "aggregating data" mean?

If you have a variable that is dimensioned by one or more hierarchical dimensions, then you can calculate the totals of the variable's data at the upper levels of each hierarchy from the detail data -- that is, the data at the lowest level of the hierarchy. This is called aggregating.

For more information on hierarchical dimensions and variables defined with hierarchical dimensions, see "Defining Hierarchical Dimensions and Variables That Use Them".

Specifying how and when data is aggregated

You can use the OLAP DML to aggregate the data. You define an aggregation map object that specifies which data should be pre-calculated when the AGGREGATE command is executed, and which data should be calculated on the fly.

For information about the aggregation map (AGGMAP) object, the AGGREGATE command and function, and other aggregate commands (such as RELATION, CACHE, and AGGINFO), see the OLAP DML Reference. For information on designing, writing, and debugging programs, see Chapter 8 and Chapter 9.