Specifying an ESRI GIS Map for a Cube Dimension

When you create a cube in SAS OLAP Cube Studio, you can include the connection information for ESRI GIS mapping services. This GIS information can then be read by the SAS OLAP Server and returned during a cube query. In order to access ESRI mapping data for a cube, you must have defined an ESRI map server in SAS Management Console and have installed the ESRI plug-in to SAS Management Console.
You can add ESRI mapping connections to a cube while you are creating the cube or at a later point when you are editing the cube. The Cube Designer wizard in SAS OLAP Cube Studio enables you to define a GIS-specific dimension for a cube and specify the ESRI map server that you connect to. In this example, a dimension named US Geography is defined.
Note: For more information about defining ESRI GIS mapping connections for SAS OLAP cubes, see Specifying GIS Map Information for a Dimension.
On the Dimension Designer – General page of the Cube Designer wizard, enter basic information for the dimension. For the dimension Type, click GEO. This will identify the dimension as a geography-specific dimension for ESRI mapping. You can have only one GEO-type dimension per cube. When you click GEO, the Specify Map button is enabled on the Cube Designer – Dimensions page.
Enter Basic Information
Continue defining the GEO-type dimension. Select the levels for the dimension with the Add Levels dialog box.
Add Levels Dialog Box
Specify any level properties on the Dimension Designer – Levels page.
Dimension Designer – Levels
Create the hierarchy for the dimension on the Cube Designer – Hierarchy page. Click Add to select the dimension levels for the hierarchy or click Finish to automatically generate a hierarchy that contains all selected levels for the dimension.
Add Dimension Levels
After the dimension is created, it will appear in the Dimensions list on the Cube Designer – Dimensions page. In addition, the GIS Maps button will be activated.
GIS Maps Button
Click GIS Maps to open the GIS Maps dialog box. This dialog box enables you to assign ESRI spatial map information to levels of the GEO-type dimension. You can now specify the connection settings for the ESRI map service.
Select from the drop-down lists the GIS Map Server and Map Service that you need to connect to. You can now map individual levels to the map service. Select a level from the Levels list. Select the Map Layer and Map Field ID of the map service. Then select the corresponding Field ID Column for the cube input table.
GIS Maps Dialog Box
You can also test the mapping of the Map Service IDs and the Cube Input Table ID. The following message is displayed. Select OK to continue with the testing.
Test Mapping Warning Message
The Test GIS Mappings dialog box is displayed when the testing is complete. Select Close to return to the GIS Maps dialog box.
Test GIS Mappings Dialog Box
When you are finished, click OK on the GIS Maps dialog box to return to the Cube Designer – Dimensions page. Finish creating or editing the cube. Afterwards, you can access the GIS Map functionality through the SAS Web OLAP Viewer and SAS Web OLAP Viewer for Java.