SQL Server Analysis Server

Microsoft SQL Server Analysis Services (SSAS) delivers online analytical
processing (OLAP) and data mining functionality for business intelligence
applications. SSAS supports OLAP by letting you design, create, and manage
multidimensional structures containing data that was aggregated from other data
sources, such as relational databases. This includes the Microsoft Dynamics AX
2012 database. For data mining applications, SSAS lets you design, create, and
visualize data mining models that are constructed from other data sources by
using a wide variety of industry-standard data mining algorithms.
SSAS ships as part of Microsoft SQL Server and requires no additional licensing.

Analysis Services Components and Tools

SSAS is the Business Intelligence part of the Reporting and Business Intelligence
cluster, yet the lines between the two are becoming somewhat blurred. SSAS can
be used to drill down into data from a high level (for example, Total sales by
month) into much earlier levels (for example, Sales by item, by employee, by
day, and so on). The blurring occurs with data presentation. In Microsoft
Dynamics AX 2012, this kind of data is most frequently displayed on the Role
Center or Enterprise Portal, side-by-side with reports that are generated by SSRS.
Reporting formats are moving away from paper-based formatting to more
flexible and visual formatting (such as reports and charts that are displayed in the
Role Center), and Online Analytical Processing (OLAP) data mining data being
displayed in a similar flexible and visual manner. As a result, all data is provided
to the user, regardless of its extraction technique, and has a consistent appearance
and behavior.

Analysis Services Architecture

Microsoft SQL Server Analysis Services (SSAS) uses both server and client
components to supply online analytical processing (OLAP) and data mining
functionality for business intelligence applications:

• The server component of Analysis Services is implemented as a
Microsoft Windows service. SQL Server 2008 Analysis Services
supports multiple instances on the same computer, with each
instance of Analysis Services implemented as a separate instance of
the Windows service. 

• Clients communicate with Analysis Services using the public
standard XML for Analysis (XMLA), which is a SOAP-based
protocol for issuing commands and receiving responses, and is
exposed as a web service. Client object models are also provided
over XMLA, and can be accessed either by using a managed
provider, such as ADOMD.NET, or a native OLE DB provider.

• Query commands can be issued using the following languages

o SQL.

o Multidimensional Expressions (MDX), an industry standard
query language for analysis.

o Data Mining Extensions (DMX), an industry standard query
language oriented toward data mining.

o Analysis Services Scripting Language (ASSL) can also be used

to manage Analysis Services database objects.
SSAS also supports a local cube engine that enables applications on disconnected
clients to browse locally-stored multidimensional data.

The primary advantage of using SSAS is the ability to drill down into several
subgroups and permutations of data. Using the example of a Key Performance
Indicator (KPI) dashboard, trends can be spotted at a high level (for example,
slower than usual production in a certain month), and then by using the power of
SSAS, a user can quickly drill into the data to find the underlying cause of the
trend. This can either help a user determine a problem or identify an opportunity.

Best Regards,
Hossein Karimi