Level Options dialog box

A level metric allows you to specify the attributes to use in the metric calculation, regardless of what is contained on any report the metric is placed upon. For an example and steps to create a level metric, see Level metrics.

To create a level metric, you first select the target, which is the attribute level at which the metric is calculated. By default, the metric calculates only for the elements found in the filter definition (standard relationship with the report filter) and aggregates by grouping by the target attribute (standard metric aggregation). The options in the Level Options dialog box allow you to determine how the metric is calculated by specifying how the metric interacts with the report filter and how metric values are grouped, as described below:

Relationship with report filter: Filtering governs how the report filter interacts with the metric calculation. The filtering options are:

Standard filtering allows the report filter to interact as usual in the metric calculation. The metric calculates only for the elements found in the filter definition. This is the default.
Absolute filtering changes the filter on descendents of the target. It raises it to the level of the target, if possible. Absolute filtering influences what is displayed on the report, not its calculations.
- If the attribute in the metric filter is a parent of the attribute in the report filter, calculations are performed only on elements to which the report filter applies.
- If the attribute in the metric filter is of the same level or is a child of the attribute in the report filter, calculations occur as specified by the report filter.
Ignore filtering omits filtering criteria based on the attribute in the target and its related attributes (parents and children).
None can be summarized as unspecified—the filtering behavior for the target is not determined by this component. Instead, the target and group components of the level define the filter.
- If the report includes an attribute in the same hierarchy as that indicated by the metric filter, aggregation takes place at the level of that attribute.
- If the report does not include other attributes in the same hierarchy as that indicated by the metric filter, aggregation defaults to the "Absolute" option.
Metric aggregations: Determines how the metric aggregates, or groups. The aggregation options for levels include:
1. Standard, which groups by the attribute level of the target. That is, the metric calculates at the level of the target, if possible. This is the default.
  
  None, which excludes the attribute in the target from the GROUP BY clause in the SQL statement. It also excludes any of the target attribute’s children. None is not an option if the metric level is the report level.

The following options are only used for nonaggregatable metrics. A nonaggregatable metric is one that should not be aggregated across an attribute.

1. Beginning lookup uses the first value of the lookup table.
  
  Ending lookup uses the last value of the lookup table.
  
  Beginning fact uses the first value of the fact table.
  
  Ending fact uses the last value contained in the fact table.

A target, report filter relationship, and metric aggregations combination composes one level unit.

Note: Since level metrics are a complex subject, they are only briefly described in this topic.