A multidimensional database (MDDB) stores consolidated data at the intersections of its members and dimensions. For example, if a company sells 20 units of products in the East region in the first quarter, Essbase stores 20 at the intersection of Product, East, Quarter1, and Unit Sales.
application.In a multidimensional database, a dimension is a data category representing a core component of a business plan, and it often relates to a business function. Product, Region, and Year are typical dimensions. In most databases, dimensions rarely change over the life of the
In a multidimensional database, a member is an individual component of a dimension. For example, Product A and Product B are members of the Product dimension. Each member has a unique name. A dimension can contain many members. In some dimensions, members change frequently over the life of the application.
Members can be parents of some members and children of other members. The Essbase outline indents members below one another to indicate a consolidation relationship.