Data Analysts, Crystal Reports and Sql Reporting Services Consultants » MDX

Create an MDX Query filter

admin — Tue, 11 May 2010 04:08:28 +0000

Applies to: Microsoft Office PerformancePoint Server 2007
Note Before you begin, make sure that you have already created a dashboard, and that you are familiar with both Multidimensional Expressions (MDX) and the SQL Server Analysis Services data cube that you want to use for your filter. For more information about MDX, see the Multidimensional Expressions (MDX) Reference on TechNet.

In PerformancePoint Dashboard Designer, you can create filters that make it easy for dashboard users to view specific information of interest to them. For example, you can create a Geography filter that dashboard consumers can use to view information that is specific to a particular region. Or, you can create a Product Categories filter that dashboard consumers can use to view information that is specific to a particular group of products.

How to access mdx query builder

admin — Tue, 22 Sep 2009 20:43:59 +0000

1- In business Intelligence Studio, Start new Report project.
2- On the select data source, name your data source, and select Microsoft SQL Server Analyses Services in the type option box and then press edit connection string button.
3- On Connection Properties enter the name of your server and then select Database Name.
4- On report wizard screen click next.
5- You will be at Query Builder screen where you can use Graphical query builder.
6- Note In the above steps you can select Query Builder in Report Project.
Please see the previous post on the same topic

MDX query Builder in Sql Reporting services 2008

admin — Tue, 18 Aug 2009 00:17:16 +0000

I would like to share my hands on experience of Query builder in SQL Reporting Services 2008. We created a report in Sql Reporting Services 2008 utilizing Analysis Services Database. We can create MDX queries by drag and drop Dimension and measures in their respective areas. MDX code will be automatically generated and can be viewed by pressing ok. This is great tool in understanding and learning MDX query language.

Difference between DMX and MDX

admin — Fri, 19 Jun 2009 17:21:29 +0000

DMX stands for Data Mining Extensions. The DMX is similar to SQL language and contains statements for data defination and data manipulation. the data defination language includes statements for model creation and data manipulation language contains statements for training the model which includes inserting data into the model and retrieving prediction results from it. Just as SQL language has a select statement to retrieve data from relational database, DMX has select statement to retrieve data from mining model. DMX syntax is more similar to – SQL than – MDX. In other words SQL language expertise can be further enhanced in DMX or vice versa.

We reconciled our experience with following sources;

1- Professional Microsoft SQL Server Analysis Services 2008
2- Wikipedia.org

MDX and OLAP

admin — Fri, 19 Jun 2009 04:17:39 +0000

Few words about MDX – MDX is not a proprietory language; it is a standards-based query language used to retrieve data from OLAP databases. Many major OLAP providers support MDX including Microdtrategy’s Itelligence server, Hypersion’s ESSBASE server, and SAS’s Enterprize BI server. So it is good be expert in MDX as it is widely used. In coming post we will begin our journey from the basics of this language. Stay tuned!

Difference between MDX and SQL Language

admin — Mon, 15 Jun 2009 11:52:18 +0000

MDX is language that allows you to query multidimensional databases where as SQL is query language for Relational databases. MDX extract information from Analyses services cubes or dimensions. SQL data is along rows and column, where as MDX data is along multiple axes.

Analysis Services MDX Query Designer User Interface

admin — Sat, 13 Jun 2009 21:33:18 +0000

Due to large amount of questions on “Analysis Services MDX Query Designer” User Interface we are providing the details below – Source : SQL Server 2008 Books Online (May 2009)

Reporting Services provides graphical query designers for building Multidimensional Expression (MDX) queries and Data Mining Expression (DMX) queries for an Analysis Services data source. This topic describes the MDX query designer. For more information about the DMX query designer, see Using the Analysis Services DMX Query Designer (Reporting Services).

The MDX graphical query designer has two modes: design mode and query mode. Each mode provides a metadata pane from which you can drag members from the selected cubes to build an MDX query that retrieves data when the report is processed.

For step by step instructions on how to open the query designer, see How to: Open a Query Designer for a Dataset Query.

Graphical MDX Query Designer in Design Mode

When you edit an MDX query for a report dataset, the graphical MDX query designer opens in Design mode.

The following figure labels the panes for Design mode.

The following table lists the panes in this mode:

Pane	Function
Select Cube button (…)	Displays the currently selected cube.
Metadata pane	Displays a hierarchical list of measures, Key Performance Indicators (KPIs), and dimensions defined on the selected cube.
Calculated Members pane	Displays the currently defined calculated members available for use in the query.
Filter pane	Use to choose dimensions and related hierarchies to filter data at the source and limit data returned to the report.
Data pane	Displays the column headings for the result set as you drag items from the Metadata pane and the Calculated Members pane. Automatically updates the result set if the AutoExecute button is selected. .

You can drag dimensions, measures, and KPIs from the Metadata pane, and calculated members from the Calculated Member pane, onto the Data pane. In the Filter pane, you can select dimensions and related hierarchies, and set filter expressions to limit the data available to query. If the AutoExecute () toggle button on the toolbar is selected, the query designer runs the query every time that you drop a metadata object onto the Data pane. You can manually run the query using the Run () button on the toolbar.

When you create an MDX query in this mode, the following additional properties are automatically included in the query:

Member Properties MEMBER_CAPTION, MEMBER_UNIQUE_NAME

Cell Properties VALUE, BACK_COLOR, FORE_COLOR, FORMATTED_VALUE, FORMAT_STRING, FONT_NAME, FONT_SIZE, FONT_FLAGS

To specify your own additional properties, you must manually edit the MDX query in Query mode.

Graphical MDX Query Designer Toolbar in Design Mode

The query designer toolbar provides buttons to help you design MDX queries using the graphical interface. The following table lists the buttons and their functions.

Button	Description
Edit As Text	Not enabled for this data source type.
Import	Import an existing query from a report definition (.rdl) file on the file system. For more information, see Understanding Report Datasets.
	Switch to Command Type MDX.
	Switch to Command Type DMX.
	Refresh metadata from the data source.
	Display the Calculated Member Builder dialog box.
	Toggle between showing and not showing empty cells in the Data pane. (This is the equivalent to using the NON EMPTY clause in MDX).
	Automatically run the query and show the result every time a change is made. Results are shown in the Data pane.
	Show aggregations in the Data pane.
	Delete the selected column in the Data pane from the query.
	Display the Query Parameters dialog box. When you specify values for a query parameter, a report parameter with the same name is automatically created. The value of the query parameter is set to an expression that references the report parameter.
	Prepare the query.
	Run the query and display the results in the Data pane.
	Cancel the query.
	Toggle between Design mode and Query mode.

Graphical MDX Query Designer in Query Mode

To change the graphical query designer to Query mode, click the Design Mode button on the toolbar.

The following figure labels the panes for Query mode.

The following table lists the panes in this mode:

Pane	Function
Select Cube button (…)	Displays the currently selected cube.
Metadata/Functions/Templates pane	Displays a hierarchical list of measures, KPIs, and dimensions defined on the selected cube.
Query pane	Displays the query text.
Result pane	Displays the results of running the query.

The Metadata pane displays tabs for Metadata, Functions, and Templates. From the Metadata tab, you can drag dimensions, hierarchies, KPIs, and measures onto the MDX Query pane. From the Functions tab, you can drag functions onto the MDX Query pane. From the Templates tab, you can add MDX templates to the MDX Query pane. When you execute the query, the Result pane displays the results for the MDX query.

You can extend the default MDX query generated in Design mode to include additional member properties and cell properties. When you run the query, these values do not appear in the result set. However, they are passed back to Reporting Services and you can use these values in a report. For more information, see Using Extended Field Properties for an Analysis Services Dataset.

Graphical Query Designer Toolbar in Query Mode

The query designer toolbar provides buttons to help you design MDX queries using the graphical interface.

The toolbar buttons are identical between Design mode and Query mode, but the following buttons are not enabled for Query mode:

Edit As Text
Add Calculated Member ()
Show Empty Cells ()
AutoExecute ()
Show Aggregations ()

Please go to the main site

Working with the graphical MDX query builder

admin — Fri, 05 Jun 2009 16:04:19 +0000

Since Sql Server 2005 a graphical MDX query builder has been added. This is great feature as it enables developers to use it the same way as they have been using graphical query designer for T-SQL queries. We will be writing a lot about MDX in coming post.

Metrics and Key Performance Indicators

admin — Mon, 01 Jun 2009 16:44:16 +0000

Metrics is a direct numerical measure of business data in the light of one or more dimensions. For example total sale by week, in that case the sale will be a metric and week is dimension. Key Performance Indicators (KPI): is metric that is related to target. KPI represents how far a metric is above or below a pre-determined target.

Key Performance Indicators are quantifiable measurements, agreed to beforehand, that reflect the critical success factors of an organization. They varies from department to department.

For example Marketing Department may have the KPI percentage of market share in certain region and comparison with market research reports which must show how the company is performing in the market.

GraphicaL MDX Query Builder

admin — Wed, 27 May 2009 22:41:29 +0000

MDX Query Builder has been included since Analysis Services 2005 alongwith Cube Wizard that automates many of the many of the steps, prior to that MDX queries has to be hand-coded. MDX is a query language for multidimensional databases.

What it Does ;

Use the MDX Query Editor to design and execute statements and scripts written in the Multidimensional Expressions (MDX) language.

Features Type scripts in the query editor pane of MDX Query Editor.

To execute scripts press F5, or click Execute on the toolbar, or on the Query menu, click Execute. If a portion of the code is selected, only that portion is executed. If no code is selected, the entire content of the MDX Query Editor is executed.

View metadata for cubes and other objects contained in an Analysis Services database in the metadata pane.

For help on MDX syntax, select a keyword in MDX Query Editor, and then click F1.

For dynamic help with MDX syntax, on the Help menu, click Dynamic Help, to open the Dynamic Help component. With Dynamic Help, help topics appear in the Dynamic Help window when keywords are typed in Query Editor.

Source: SQL Server 2008 Books Online (April 2009)
MDX Query Editor (Analysis Services – Multidimensional Data)

We have created a category of MDX and will be writing more about it, in coming posts.