The key concept of OLAP is that of a cube. This document
uses the term cube when referring to any analytic data
store, whether it is a MOLAP cube or a ROLAP star schema. An
OLAP cube is a collection of related data—a database—that
has multiple dimensions.
Cube dimensions are the rough equivalent of fields in a
relational database. In terms of data analysis, dimensions
can be thought of as criteria—such as time, account, and
salesperson—that can pinpoint a particular piece of data.
These pieces of data are usually transactions from an OLTP
system.
Although they are called cubes, OLAP databases can have more
than three dimensions. In fact, most cubes have anywhere
from three to eight dimensions. To understand the concept of
OLAP cubes, start with a simple data analysis model and then
expand it.
It is possible to build an OLAP database out of PeopleSoft
data without using PeopleSoft Cube Manager. In fact,
customers have implemented custom OLAP solutions with
previous PeopleSoft releases. However, PeopleSoft Cube
Manager provides several important benefits when linking
between your PeopleSoft application data and your OLAP
platform.
PeopleSoft Cube Manager is a PeopleTool used to build OLAP
databases or cubes. It provides a framework for modeling
your OLAP cubes through its design tools. This framework
supports the definition of all dimensions, attributes,
measures, and cubes that you might want to build from
PeopleSoft sources.
You can share all of these definitions across cubes to
ensure that OLAP results are consistent across your
enterprise.
You can also use components designed in PeopleSoft Cube
Manager across all target OLAP platforms supported by
PeopleSoft. PeopleSoft Cube Manager provides all these
benefits while achieving a nearly platform-independent
solution.
You can apply the majority of a cube’s design attributes
to Hyperion Essbase, Cognos PowerPlay, or Generic Star
Schema. PeopleSoft Cube Manager also lets you leverage your
existing PeopleSoft metadata to define the cube structure.
