What's New Table of Contents |
What's New in the SAS OLAP Server 9.1 and 9.1.3
Overview
The SAS OLAP Server software enables users to develop and deploy scalable Online Analytical Processing (OLAP) applications. In addition, automated data loading and cube building are available through a new application called SAS OLAP Cube Studio, which was developed using Java technology.
OLAP queries are performed using the Multidimensional Expressions (MDX) query language in client applications that are connected to the SAS OLAP Server by using the following:
- the SQL Pass-Through Facility for OLAP, which is designed to process MDX queries within the PROC SQL environment
- open access technologies such as OLE DB for OLAP, ADO MD, and Java
The SAS OLAP Server software has the following new and enhanced features:
- new tools for data loading and cube building
- new options added to the PROC OLAP statement
- new functions
- new tuning capabilities for the query thread pool
- new tuning options window
- improved performance
- improved querying capability
- improved aggregation tuning
- additional enhancements
Note: This section describes the features of the SAS
OLAP Server that are new or enhanced since SAS 8.2.
New Tools for Data Loading and Cube Building
The OLAP procedure, in addition to cube building, includes options for handling ragged hierarchies, defining global calculated members and named sets, assigning properties to levels, and optimizing cube creation and query performance. It also supports multiple hierarchies and drill-through tables.
SAS OLAP Cube Studio is an alternative Java interface to the OLAP procedure. This interface is also integrated with SAS Data Integration Studio.
New Options Added to the PROC OLAP Statement
The following options have been added to the PROC OLAP statement:
- COMPACT_NWAY
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when building a cube from a star schema, this option enables additional summarizations during the cube build that can decrease the size of the NWAY aggregation.
- IGNORE_MISSING_DIMKEYS=TERSE | VERBOSE
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when building a cube from a star schema, this option enables the continuation of the build when the fact table is found to contain keys that are not present in any of the dimension tables. The log receives information about the number and location of the missing keys.
New Functions
The following functions are new:
- A Specify Map function has been added to SAS OLAP Cube Studio. The Specify Map function enables you to store ESRI Geographic Information System (GIS) spatial map information in the SAS Metadata Repository. This GIS information can then be read by the SAS OLAP Server and returned during a cube query.
- The Export Cube and Import Cube functions enable you to copy cube metadata from a source repository to a target repository, and if needed, to another server. The Export Cube function enables you to extract a cube's metadata from the source repository and save it in a file that you specify. All information about a cube, including its dimensions, hierarchies, levels, measures, notes, properties, calculated measures, aggregations, and security settings, will be extracted. The Import Cube function then enables you to save the cube metadata to another metadata repository on another metadata server.
- The Define Distinct Count function enables you to store NUNIQUE (Distinct Count) statistics as measures with a SAS OLAP cube. You can add or delete a distinct count measure either with PROC OLAP or in the Cube Designer wizard, within SAS OLAP Cube Studio. You can add or delete a Distinct Count measure. You can also modify the name, caption, format, units, and description of the measure.
- The Synchronize Levels function enables you to synchronize a cube when the input table for an existing cube has encountered a column name change. This function finds the name differences between the cube and its input table and changes the hierarchy level names to match the input table column names.
New Tuning Capabilities for the Query Thread Pool
New tuning capabilities for the query thread pool are now available for each of your SAS OLAP Servers. Tuning the query thread pool enables you to optimize performance based on the number and frequency of query requests that are received by a SAS OLAP Server.
New Tuning Options Window
A tuning Options window has been added to the Manual Tuning function and the Advanced Aggregation Tuning plug-in. The Options window enables you to specify certain performance options in the PROC OLAP statement when adding or modifying aggregations for a cube. In this window you can view the current values and change the values when needed.
Improved Performance
Server performance is recorded and analyzed by using the Application Response Measurement (ARM) system.
The new multi-threaded data storage and server functionality provide faster cube performance. The data can be stored in a multidimensional form (MOLAP) or in a form that includes existing aggregations from presummarized data sources.
Improved Querying Capability
An SQL Pass-Through Facility for OLAP is available in SAS for use in querying cubes.
A subquery cache can now be enabled, disabled, and sized for each of your SAS OLAP Servers. The new cache stores subqueries that generate empty result sets.
Improved Aggregation Tuning
Aggregations can be added to or deleted from existing cubes. In addition, further enhancements for aggregation tuning have been made:
- The AGGREGATION statement in PROC OLAP and the Manual Tuning function in SAS OLAP Cube Studio have been enhanced for use with cubes that employ aggregated data from other tables or for use with cubes that have no NWAY aggregation.
- The Advanced Aggregation Tuning plug-in provides a point-and-click interface that enables you to create and add aggregations to the list of existing aggregations that might already be defined for the cube.
General Enhancements
General enhancements are as follows:
- The metadata structure is improved, and metadata is stored with the cube.
- Caching and logging can be enabled or disabled.
- Support for ad hoc calculations and time dimensions is improved.
- The start-up file generator has been removed from the SAS OLAP Server Monitor plug-in for SAS Management Console. SAS OLAP Servers are now automatically installed as Windows services; server start-up options are set by an INI file that is installed by the SAS Deployment wizard.
- When creating a cube dimension in the Cube Designer in SAS OLAP Cube Studio, a hierarchy for a dimension will automatically be created when no hierarchy has been explicitly defined and you click the Finish button in this window. This default hierarchy includes all levels that were specified for the current dimension and the order they were listed in for the dimension.
- The Calculated Members plug-in provides a point-and-click interface that enables you to add new measures or modify existing measures for the selected cube.
Documentation Enhancements
The SAS OLAP Server: Administrator's Guide is no longer available. The administrative documentation for the SAS OLAP Server software has been moved into the following documents and updated:
- SAS Intelligence Platform: Application Server Administration Guide
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describes the configuration, tuning, and management of SAS OLAP Servers.
- SAS Intelligence Platform: Desktop Application Administration Guide
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describes the administration of SAS OLAP Cube Studio.
- SAS Intelligence Platform: System Administration Guide
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describes SAS OLAP Server start, stop, restart, monitoring, and cube data import and export.
- SAS Intelligence Platform: Security Administration Guide
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describes security issues for SAS OLAP cubes, including a newly updated section about member-level security.
- SAS Intelligence Platform: Data Administration Guide
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describes how to define libraries and schemas for SAS OLAP cubes.
Note: The other SAS OLAP Server documents, the SAS OLAP Server:
User's Guide and the SAS OLAP Server: MDX Guide remain
available.