Individual Report on OLAP Test project

  • After learning how to develop the Cube through Analysis Services, each student will be required to document through texts and screen shots, the steps of test Cube development and results of at least three queries along with your understanding and explanation of the results.
  • In this case, students will be using Visual Studio along with a sample SQL Server (AdventureWorks) or Access (FoodMart) data warehouse to create a business intelligence project and go through the steps following the textbook: SQL Server 2012 analysis Services Step by Step.
  • You may understand that until the midterm exam, we have discussed about Data Warehouse Theory & Design as well as Cube and OLAP theory. Since then our focus shifted on implementing our knowledge in SQL Server 2012 Analysis Services, which is a tool to develop a Cube and perform OLAP. Note SQL Server is a network database to create your data warehouse. Then you create the cube and perform OLAP analysis.
    However for your project you may start with Microsoft Access and then transfer the warehouse to SQL Server using data transfer tool (DTS). It is one part of data warehouse architecture we talked about, and that tool comes with both Access and SQL Server.
    So far you have been learning how to create a database in SQL Server as well as apply Business Intelligence tool to develop a Cube or OLAP Project with an existing database: Adventure Works. You have been following the outline posted on the website: Step by Step Approach of Building a Cube. Once this is understood clearly, you apply that knowledge to create your own data warehouse and Cube as a group.
    However, before you go further, you must read the second text carefully: SQL Server 2012 Analysis Services. You need to do the steps sequentially: create a connection to the data warehouse, create a view/diagram, create hierarchies, and deploy the cube. Especially make sure to read the pages: 62-90, 104-108, 112-122. Page 65 is important to create hierarchies in a dimension. You can do this for any number of dimensions you want; however, I would suggest to limit on Product and Time dimensions. Also use only FactInternetSales as fact Table, and use two measures of that table as suggested.
    Furthermore, you are creating your BI project in your client PC, but the data warehouse is in the server database. Thus data is processed in the server and a CUBE with aggregated data is only created in the client PC after processing the Cube in the Server. Thus make sure to replace localhost (local PC with SQL Server - which we do not have) to SBUS-DB as described in the note on website: Step by Step Approach of Building a Cube (see Figure 5 of Page 5).

If you want to have access to your data warehouse in the SQL Server 2012 by more than one person, you need to communicate with our network administrator: Chris Ware at . If it is urgent I would suggest that you see him personally.
For the Individual Report, you do not need to display all screen shots, but important ones that reflect your knowledge and personal activities. And I certainly do not expect more than one person to have the same group of screen shots and steps. And the challenging students use different Fact table(s) and dimensions to show individuality.

Try to have at least 3-5 reports with explanations.