OLAP (On-Line Analytical Processing)

OLAP is an analysis software by use of which data can be imported from an existing SQL database to search for particular contents and display them in a different angle or to export them to other applications such as MS-Excel. OLAP Services enable the operator to easily select data from an SQL database and analyse it. In contrast to relational databases such as SQL Server 7.0 or ORACLE which only allow a two-dimensional view on their data, OLAP Services allows a multi-dimensional view and its representation in free-definable reports. (cp. Overview OLAP). By use of applications such as Microsoft Excel and of applications by other manufacturers, multi-dimensional data can be called from the server to be viewed by the user.

For the MICROS Retail OSCAR POS application, the following requirements have to be met to be able to use OLAP Services:

1. SQL Server 7.0 (OLAP Server Components) incl. Service Pack 1 (on Server).
2. OLAP Services (Manager and Client Components) incl. Service Pack 1 (on Server and System Unit)
   Installation of OLAP Services on the System Unit: The program directory must be linked to the local hard disk, the data directory must be linked to the hard disk of the SQL server. Please note that this directory has to be released.
3. MICROS Retail OSCAR POS program with SQL Database (on System Unit)
4. MICROSOFT® Data Access Components 2.1 ODBC Driver 3.70.06.23 (on Server and System Unit)
5. EXCEL 2000 (on System Unit)

In addition, the following steps are necessary for the configuration:

• The MICROS Retail OSCAR POS ISAM database must be converted to SQL (cp. MICROS Retail OSCAR POS with SQL Database)
• In the file..\bin\oscar.ini, the following entry has to be made:
  MICROS Retail OSCAR POS_SQL=<Oscar DSN>
  <Oscar DSN> is the name of the database source as it is defined in the system.
• In the file..\bin\oscar.ini, the entry for the OLAP server (name of the computer on which the SQL server with the OLAP Services has been installed) must be made as follows:
  MICROS Retail OSCAR POS_OLAPSERVER=<Server name>

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Creating and Refreshing the OLAP Database

The access to the OLAP database is gained via two buttons in the update program Company.

Refresh OLAP
I the update program Company, the OLAP database can be refreshed via the button "Refresh OLAP". If this button is used for the first time, the new OLAP database will be created with the corresponding cubes, dimensions und levels. If these already exist, they will only be updated. If you would like to create a new OLAP database you have to delete the old one first and then use the button Refresh OLAP to create a new one.

OLAP->Excel
After the button "OLAP->Excel" has been clicked on, the application MS-Excel 2000 will be started, and a new spread sheet with the following tables will be opened.

• Item statistics (Sales details)
• Operator statistics
• Supplier statistics
• Basket

The import in Excel takes place as a pivot table.

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MICROS Retail Deutschland GmbH
Salzufer 8
D-10587 Berlin

Germany