Understanding the Analysis Database

The analysis database integrates the power of the academic advisement transcript with a large number of student data result tables.

On the Request Header page, one of the field values for Report Format is Analysis Database. The analysis database report format is a special report format that is computer-friendly rather than people-friendly. The report is written in computer-readable format, which enables you to write application programs against the analysis database tables. When the value in the Report Format is Analysis Database, the report data is written to and stored in the analysis database tables. Using this database, you can then prepare user-configurable reports using your reporting tool of choice.

More information is stored in the analysis database tables than appears in the printed report formats. The database tables contain keys for each object in the report that an application program can use to reference other objects in the student's record that are not contained in the printed report. The analysis database contains data on courses that were considered for satisfying a requirement, but rejected. It also contains information on courses captured by global limits.

You can reuse the data stored in these academic advisement analysis tables. You can query the tables for data. To maximize performance, avoid overly complex joins. In most cases, performance severely degrades when more than five tables are joined in one SQL statement. These tables do not automatically purge and must be updated to remain current. Your database administrator must write a script to purge the files. The table data is only accurate for the date on which you run the report. If multiple processes of the same transcript type for the same student occur on a single day, the system uses the analysis database sequence number to keep the data separate for each report.

There are several things you can do to maximize performance when writing reports against the analysis database. When using Crystal reports, create a temporary table where the data to be reported is denormalized into one table. Then use one SQL statement to retrieve the data in a sorted order, using breaks on the data to control the output. Do this to overcome the performance degradation that occurs when using multiple Crystal subreports in one report. You can improve performance by creating indices on the analysis database tables, so joins are on the indices. Setting the initial size of the tables correctly also improves performance. Your database administrator can perform this task. If the tables are not sized correctly, performance could quickly degrade as the tables grow.