Definition of a Data Cube

A data cube is a container for one kind of data that you use in cube collections.

You can place the same data cube in more than one cube collection. For example, you can place the EMPLOYEE_EXPENSE data cube in both an EMPLOYEE_ANALYSIS cube collection and an INCOME_STATEMENT cube collection. To populate the data cubes with data from the database, you map fields to the data cubes within the cube collection's properties.

See Mapping Data Cubes and Dimensions to Fields.

Within PeopleSoft Pure Internet Architecture pages with analytic grids, end users view cube collections and drag and drop data cubes to view their relationships to other data cubes.

You create four different types of data cubes that you use within an analytic model:

• Input data cubes.

• Calculation data cubes.

• Association data cubes.

• Virtual data cubes.

The four types of data cubes are not mutually exclusive, but certain combinational restrictions apply. For example, consider that all calculation data cubes contain formulas, and association data cubes may or may not contain formulas. When an association data cube does contain a formula, it is considered to be a type of calculation data cube. Similarly, when an input data cube contains a formula, it is also considered to be a type of calculation data cube. Any of these data cubes may also be considered virtual data cubes if their values are not stored in the database.

The following table lists each type of data cube and specifies whether the data cube can contain a formula, whether the data cube can lack a formula, whether the data cube can be virtual, and whether the data cube can be nonvirtual.

Data Cube Type	Formula Allowed?	No Formula Allowed?	Can Be Virtual?	Can Be nonvirtual?
Input	Yes Note: When input data cubes contain formulas, they must use the INPUT built-in function.	Yes	No	Yes
Calculation	Yes	No	Yes	Yes
Association	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
Virtual	Yes	No	Yes	No

Example: Working with Data Cubes and Dimensions

To be useful, a data cube must work with one or more dimensions. For example, suppose that you want to track the sales of multiple products in multiple regions. First, create an input data cube called SALES and dimensions called PRODUCTS and REGIONS. Next, attach the PRODUCTS dimension and REGIONS dimension to the SALES data cube.

Note:

When a cube collection is mapped to either a Writable-only record or a record with the Readable and Writable attributes, all data cubes in the cube collection should share the same set of dimensions.

The combined string of all the attached dimension names should not exceed 256 characters.