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Chapter 1

Multidimensional models are crucial for OLAP systems, enabling quick analytical query responses and supporting multiple users. The history of multidimensional databases traces back to the late 1960s, with significant developments leading to the term OLAP being coined in 1993. Cubes, as multidimensional structures, are central to this technology, allowing for complex data organization and analysis.

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2 views

Chapter 1

Multidimensional models are crucial for OLAP systems, enabling quick analytical query responses and supporting multiple users. The history of multidimensional databases traces back to the late 1960s, with significant developments leading to the term OLAP being coined in 1993. Cubes, as multidimensional structures, are central to this technology, allowing for complex data organization and analysis.

Uploaded by

Samia Mahbub
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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Download as DOCX, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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Chapter 1:

Multidimensional models are fundamental to On-Line Analytical Processing (OLAP) systems, which
provide fast responses to analytical queries by aggregating large datasets. OLAP systems follow the
FASMI criteria:

 Fast – Query responses within seconds for interactive analysis.

 Analysis – Easy-to-use tools for business logic and statistical evaluation.

 Shared – Supports multiple users with security and concurrency control.

 Multidimensional – Uses hierarchical dimensions for data organization.

 Information – Manages both raw and derived data effectively.

Additionally, data mining benefits from multidimensional data models, as they efficiently support
complex queries for discovering hidden patterns. Overall, multidimensional modeling is essential for
data analysis, widely used in industry, and a key skill for understanding large datasets.

2 MULTIDIMENSIONAL HISTORY

Multidimensional databases originated from multidimensional matrix algebra rather than traditional
database technology.

 In the late 1960s, IRI and Comshare independently developed early multidimensional database
systems.

 IRI Express became a leading OLAP tool, later acquired by Oracle.

 Comshare's System W was widely used for financial analysis in the 1980s.

 In 1991, Arbor developed Essbase, a multiuser, multidimensional database server, later


integrated into IBM DB2.

 The term OLAP was coined in 1993 by Arbor and Codd.

 In the early 1990s, large data warehouses emerged, often implemented with relational star or
snowflake schemas.

 Microsoft entered the OLAP market in 1998 with MS OLAP Server, making multidimensional
systems widely available.

Today, multidimensional databases are commodity products, often integrated into major relational
database systems at no extra cost
RELATED TERMINOLOGY
CUBES:

A cube is a multidimensional data structure that can have any number of dimensions, including
hierarchies and formulas. It is often referred to as a hypercube or a multidimensional database. A cu bes
consist of uniquely identifiable cells at each dimension's intersection, called facts, which have multiple
measures associated with them. A cell may also be empty, meaning there is no information to record for
the given dimension values. Cubes range from sparse to dense, with increasing dimensionality and finer
granularity of dimension values. The term "cube" suggests three dimensions, but a hypercube is
sometimes used instead.

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