1. Module 9: Customizing Cube Functionality
Course 10778A
Module 9: Customizing Cube Functionality
Module 9
Customizing Cube Functionality

2. Module 9: Customizing Cube Functionality
Course 10778A
Module Overview
Module 9: Customizing Cube Functionality
Working with Key Performance Indicators
Working with Actions
Working with Perspectives
Working with Translations

3. Lesson 1: Working with Key Performance Indicators
Course 10778A
Lesson 1: Working with Key Performance Indicators
Module 9: Customizing Cube Functionality
Introducing KPIs
Elements of a KPI
Browsing KPIs

4. Module 9: Customizing Cube Functionality
Course 10778A
Introducing KPIs
Module 9: Customizing Cube Functionality
Ask students what their CEO would want to know to get an instant overview of the business. Could the same technique be used at different levels in the organization?
A KPI is:
A quantifiable measurement for gauging business success
A collection of calculations associated with a measure group in a cube
Often a combination of MDX expressions and calculated members

5. Module 9: Customizing Cube Functionality
Course 10778A
Elements of a KPI
Module 9: Customizing Cube Functionality
Value
The measure or calculation to be evaluated
Goal
The target for the value
Status
An MDX expression that evaluates the value against the goal and returns a value between -1 and 1
Trend
An MDX expression that evaluates how the value compares to the goal over time
Talk through the components of the KPI designer either using the slide or with a demonstration. Note that there is a KPI demonstration in this lesson.

6. Module 9: Customizing Cube Functionality
Course 10778A
Browsing KPIs
Module 9: Customizing Cube Functionality
In Excel
As an MDX statement
Explain that clients can choose how to display KPI’s and that the settings in the cube are only a suggestion.
SELECT
{ KPIValue("Channel Revenue"), KPIGoal("Channel Revenue"),
KPIStatus("Channel Revenue"), KPITrend("Channel Revenue")
} ON Columns,
Descendants
( { [Date].[Fiscal].[Fiscal Year].&[2008],
[Date].[Fiscal].[Fiscal Year].&[2009],
[Date].[Fiscal].[Fiscal Year].&[2010]
}, [Date].[Fiscal].[Fiscal Quarter]
) ON Rows
FROM [Adventure Works]

7. Demonstration: Using KPIs
Course 10778A
Demonstration: Using KPIs
Module 9: Customizing Cube Functionality
In this demonstration, you will see how to:
Create a KPI
Browse a KPI
Task 1: Create a KPI
Ensure that the MIA-DC1 and MIA-SQLBI virtual machines are both running, and then log on to MIA- SQLBI as ADVENTUREWORKS\Student with the password Pa$$w0rd. Then in the D:\10778A\Demofiles\Mod09 folder, run Setup.cmd as Administrator.
In the D:\10778A\Demofiles\Mod09 folder, double-click Adventure Works OLAP.sln to open the solution in SQL Server Data Tools.
In the Solution Explorer pane, right-click Adventure Works OLAP, and then click Deploy. If prompted, specify the password Pa$$w0rd and click OK.
After deployment is complete, in Solution Explorer right-click Adventure Works Cube.cube, click Open, and then click the KPIs tab.
On the toolbar of the KPIs tab, click New KPI.
In the Name box, type Reseller Revenue, and then in the Associated measure group list, click Reseller Sales.
On the Metadata tab in the Calculation Tools pane, expand Measures, expand Reseller Sales, and then drag the Sales Amount – Reseller Sales measure to the Value Expression box..
On the Metadata tab in the Calculation Tools pane, expand Measures, expand Sales Quota, and then drag the Sales Amount Quota measure to the Goal Expression box.
Verify that Gauge is selected in the Status indicator list, and copy and paste the MDX expression from KPI Status Expression.txt in the demo folder into the Status expression box:
Verify that Standard arrow is selected in the Trend indicator list, and then copy and paste the expression from KPI Trend Expression.txt in the demo folder into the Trend expression box.
Task 2: Browse a KPI
On the File menu, click Save All.
In SQL Server Data Tools, on the Build menu of, click Deploy Adventure Works OLAP.
When deployment has successfully completed, click Browser View on the toolbar of the KPIs tab, and then click Reconnect.
In the top pane of the KPI browser, click Sales Territory (not Customer – Sales Territory) in the Dimension list, click Sales Territory Key in the Hierarchy list, and then click Equal in the Operator list.
In the Filter Expression list, expand All, select 1, 2, 3, 4, and 5, and then click OK.
Click anywhere in the KPI Browser pane to update the values for the Reseller Revenue KPI.
Close SQL Server Data Tools.

8. Lesson 2: Working with Actions
Course 10778A
Lesson 2: Working with Actions
Module 9: Customizing Cube Functionality
Introducing Actions
Types of Actions
Building Actions for a Cube

9. Module 9: Customizing Cube Functionality
Course 10778A
Introducing Actions
Module 9: Customizing Cube Functionality
Actions are:
Stored statements that can be presented to and employed by client applications
Client commands that are defined and stored on the server
Run through some examples of actions and how they can expand the functionality of the BI solution beyond traditional BI.
Actions can:
Enable business users to act upon the outcomes of their analyses
Transform the client application from a sophisticated data rendering tool into an integral part of the enterprise's operational system

10. Module 9: Customizing Cube Functionality
Course 10778A
Types of Actions
Module 9: Customizing Cube Functionality
Standard Actions
Dataset
Proprietary
Rowset
Statement
URL
Reporting Actions
Drillthrough Actions
Talk through the URL example on the slide which displays the customer address in Bing Maps.

11. Building Actions for a Cube
Course 10778A
Building Actions for a Cube
Module 9: Customizing Cube Functionality
Standard Actions
Name
Target type
Target object
Condition
Action type
Dataset
Proprietary
Rowset
Statement
URL
Action expression
Additional properties
Drillthrough Actions
Name
Target type
Target object
Condition
Drillthrough columns
Dimensions
Return columns
Additional properties
Reporting Actions
Name
Target type
Target object
Condition
Report server
Server name
Report path
Report format
Parameters
Additional properties

12. Lesson 3: Working with Perspectives
Course 10778A
Lesson 3: Working with Perspectives
Module 9: Customizing Cube Functionality
Introducing Perspectives
Creating a Perspective

13. Introducing Perspectives
Course 10778A
Introducing Perspectives
Module 9: Customizing Cube Functionality
A Perspective:
Defines a viewable subset of a cube
Can reduce the perceived complexity of a cube in Analysis Services
Can display or hide several types of cube objects including dimensions, attributes, and more
Is not meant to be used as a security mechanism
Cannot provide access to objects in a cube to which a user does not already have access
Ensure that students are aware that perspectives are not a security mechanism and are, instead, for ease of browsing large cubes.

14. Creating a Perspective
Course 10778A
Creating a Perspective
Module 9: Customizing Cube Functionality

15. Lesson 4: Working with Translations
Course 10778A
Lesson 4: Working with Translations
Module 9: Customizing Cube Functionality
Introducing Translations
Implementing Cube Translations
Implementing Dimension Translations

16. Introducing Translations
Course 10778A
Introducing Translations
Module 9: Customizing Cube Functionality
A translation is a simple mechanism to change the displayed labels and captions from one language to another
Each translation is defined as a pair of values:
A string with the translated text
A number with the language ID
The two types of translations are:
Cube Translation A language-specific representation of the name of a cube object such as a display folder
Dimension Translation A language-specific representation of the name of a dimension or one of its members
Note that translations do not perform the actual translation. You must type in every value in the new language. If you are translating data there must be a column in the dimension table with the translated text.

17. Implementing Cube Translations
Course 10778A
Implementing Cube Translations
Module 9: Customizing Cube Functionality
Language
Original Text
Translation

18. Implementing Dimension Translations
Course 10778A
Implementing Dimension Translations
Module 9: Customizing Cube Functionality
Language
Original Text
Translation

19. Module 9: Customizing Cube Functionality
Course 10778A
Lab Scenario
Module 9: Customizing Cube Functionality
Information workers in the sales department at Adventure Works Cycles currently use the cube you have created to perform analysis of sales data. Several users have expressed a desire to be able to view aggregated sales figures in Excel, and then quickly drill- through to see details of specific orders for a given aggregation – for example, when viewing the sales total for bikes in 2003, the users want to be able to quickly generate a second Excel worksheet that shows details of the customer, location, date, and individual product for each bike sale in that year. Additionally, some sales users are finding the cube too complex for their needs. These users typically only need to analyze sales amount by customer, and would like to be able to view only the measures and dimensions required to support this requirement. Finally, the company employs a number of senior sales managers whose first language is French. These users would like to be able to view cube data and metadata in French.
Students will perform the lab in the role of a BI professional in the Adventure Works Cycles company, and:
Implement a drill-through action that displays sales details for a given Internet Sales aggregation.
Implement a perspective that reduces the measures and dimensions that are visible to users.
Implement a translation that displays cube metadata and data in French.
Point out that the instructions in the lab are deliberately designed to be high-level so that students need to think carefully about what they are trying to accomplish and work out how best to proceed for themselves. Encourage students to read the scenario information carefully and collaborate with each other to meet the scenario requirements. Remind students that if they find a particular task or exercise too challenging, they can find step-by-step instructions in the lab answer key.

20. Lab 9: Customizing a Cube
Course 10778A
Lab 9: Customizing a Cube
Module 9: Customizing Cube Functionality
Exercise 1: Implementing an Action
Exercise 2: Implementing a Perspective
Exercise 3: Implementing a Translation
In this lab, students will deploy an Analysis Services solution, then creates an Action and a Perspective. The student also adds translations to provide localized cube data.
Exercise 1: Implementing an Action
In this exercise, students implement a drillthrough action.
Exercise 2: Implementing a Perspective
In this exercise, students implement a perspective for the Internet Marketing group.
Exercise 3: Implementing a Translation
In this exercise, students implement translation for the French speakers in the scenario’s company.
Logon information
Virtual machine
MIA-SQLBI
User name
ADVENTUREWORKS\Student
Password
Pa$$w0rd
Estimated time: 45 minutes

21. Module Review and Takeaways
Course 10778A
Module Review and Takeaways
Module 9: Customizing Cube Functionality
How are KPIs useful to the business?
What value do Actions add to the business?
What objects can be displayed or hidden in a perspective?
Review Questions
Point the students to the appropriate section in the course so that they are able to answer the questions presented in this section. Some guidance for discussing the answers to the questions is included below.
How are KPIs useful to the business?
Answer: A KPI is frequently evaluated over time. Business executives frequently consume KPIs that are grouped together in a business scorecard to obtain a quick and accurate historical summary of business success.
What value do Actions add to the business?
Answer: Actions enable business users to act upon the outcomes of their analyses. By saving and reusing actions, end users can go beyond traditional analysis, which typically ends with presentation of data, and initiate solutions to discovered problems and deficiencies, thereby extending the business intelligence application beyond the cube. Actions can transform the client application from a sophisticated data rendering tool into an integral part of the enterprise's operational system. Instead of focusing on sending data as input to operational applications, end users can "close the loop" on the decision-making process. This ability to transform analytical data into decisions is crucial to the successful business intelligence application.
What objects can be displayed or hidden in a perspective?
Answer: Dimensions, Attributes, Hierarchies, Measure groups, Measures, Key Performance Indicators (KPIs), Calculations (calculated members, named sets, and script commands), and Actions.