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What is olap?

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ajaygk

MIS
Jun 6, 1999
2
US
What is olap ,i understood it as online analytical application processing but what is its play in the dbase side? pls explain
 
OLAP stands for OnLine Analytical Processing.<br>
It is typically a term used to describe multi-dimensional<br>
databases, which are structured by the data they contain, rather than the Relational model where the table describes the data. If you are familiar with Relational, Multi-dimensionality is best described by a star schema.<br>
<br>
Overall, it is a very quick way of accessing massive amounts of data through its logical hierarchies and relationships.<br>
<br>
Its a tough subject to describe, so please expand if you feel it is necessary.<br>
<br>
The OLAP marketplace is quite busy at the moment, as MS have just shipped the OLAP engine with SQL Server 7.0, which brings the price band down on this typically expensive architecture. The key marketplace players are Oracle, Gentia and Hyperion.<br>

 
may i take it for granted that adomd is a good eg for the OLAP likewise this follows the multidimensions of the data and structure like cubedefs and catalogs<br>
<br>

 
The following definition comes from a popular research group (rhymes with partner):<br>
<br>
OLAP (On-Line Analytical Processing)<br>
<br>
A definition of multidimensional business intelligence servers that originated with a Codd and Date white paper which lined 12 "OLAP product-evaluation rules" as the basis for selecting multidimensional products. OLAP is in truth only a new name for a class of business intelligence products, some of which have existed for two decades. The 12 evaluation rules for providing OLAP to user-analysts are:<br>
1. Multidimensional conceptual view<br>
2. Transparency<br>
3. Accessibility<br>
4. Consistent reporting performance<br>
5. Client/server architecture<br>
6. Generic dimensionality<br>
7. Dynamic sparse matrix handling<br>
8. Multiuser support<br>
9. Unrestricted cross-dimensional operations<br>
10. Intuitive data manipulation <br>
11. Flexible reporting<br>
12. Unlimited dimensions and aggregation levels<br>
<br>
<br>
Clear as mud huh?
 
Hi folks,<br>
"Online Analytical Processing (OLAP) - enables better decision making by giving business users quick, unlimited views of multiple relationships in large quantities of summarized data. OLAP offers high-performance access to large amounts of summarized data for complex multidimensional analysis and easy reporting. <br>
<br>
With OLAP managers and analysts can rapidly and easily examine key performance data and perform powerful comparison and trend analyses, even on very large data volumes. Data comparisons can be used in a wide variety of business areas, including sales and marketing analysis, financial reporting, quality tracking, profitability analysis, manpower and pricing applications, and many others. <br>
<br>
OLAP uses data warehousing to create a repository of information that is built from data from across your organization's systems of enterprise-wide computing. Regardless of where your data resides, it is accessible to requesting applications on any supported platform anywhere on the network, including Web-based applications." <br>
<br>
SLICE AND DICE IS THE NAME OF THE GAME.<br>
<br>
Here are some interesting definitions:<br>
OLAP - Online Analytical Processing<br>
ROLAP - Relational OLAP<br>
MOLAP - Multidimensional OLAP<br>
WEB OLAP - you guessed it....OLAP on the WEB<br>
HOLAP - You want to know? email me loginjames@extra.co.nz<br>
Cheers<br>
SASMAN
 
I am deviating a little from the topic in question, but I am wondering - why pay a huge sum of money for an OLAP tool when MS provides it in an all-in-one package? The only reason I can come up with is that i) the MS OLAP technology is very new, therefore it has not been proven yet ii) it is free so it cant be that good and iii) anyone wants to add anything in this list????
 
I am deviating a little from the topic in question, but I am wondering - why pay a huge sum of money for an OLAP tool when MS provides it in an all-in-one package? The only reason I can come up with is that i) the MS OLAP technology is very new, therefore it has not been proven yet ii) it is free so it cant be that good and iii) anyone wants to add anything in this list????
 
Pewo - see thread "Pros and cons of choosing MS OLAP Services"
 
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