Microsoft SQL Server Analysis Services, SSAS, is an online analytical processing

(OLAP), data mining and reporting tool in Microsoft SQL Server. SSAS is used as
a tool by organizations to analyze and make sense of information possibly sprea
d out across multiple databases, or in disparate tables. Microsoft has included
a number of services in SQL Server related to business intelligence and data war
ehousing. These services include Integration Services and Analysis Services. Ana
lysis Services includes a group of OLAP and data mining capabilities.
Contents [hide]
1 History
1.1 Timeline
2 Storage modes
2.1 Partition storage modes
2.2 Dimension storage modes
3 APIs and object models
3.1 Querying
3.2 Administration and management
4 Query languages
4.1 Data definition language (DDL)
4.2 Data manipulation language (DML)
5 See also
6 References
7 Bibliography
8 External links
History[edit]
In 1996, Microsoft began its foray into the OLAP Server business by acquiring th
e OLAP software technology from Canada-based Panorama Software.[1] Just over two
years later, in 1998, Microsoft released OLAP Services as part of SQL Server 7.
OLAP Services supported MOLAP, ROLAP, and HOLAP architectures, and it used OLE
DB for OLAP as the client access API and MDX as a query language. It could work
in client-server mode or offline mode with local cube files.[2]
In 2000, Microsoft released Analysis Services 2000. It was renamed from "OLAP Se
rvices" due to the inclusion of data mining services. Analysis Services 2000 was
considered an evolutionary release, since it was built on the same architecture
as OLAP Services and was therefore backward compatible with it. Major improveme
nts included more flexibility in dimension design through support of parent chil
d dimensions, changing dimensions, and virtual dimensions. Another feature was a
greatly enhanced calculation engine with support for unary operators, custom ro
llups, and cell calculations. Other features were dimension security, distinct c
ount, connectivity over HTTP, session cubes, grouping levels, and many others.[3
]
In 2005, Microsoft released the next generation of OLAP and data mining technolo
gy as Analysis Services 2005. It maintained backward compatibility on the API le
vel: although applications written with OLE DB for OLAP and MDX continued to wor
k, the architecture of the product was completely different. The major change ca
me to the model in the form of UDM - Unified Dimensional Model.[4][clarification
needed]
Timeline[edit]
The key events in the history of Microsoft Analysis Services cover a period star
ting in 1996.
Microsoft Analysis Services Events
Date
Event
1996-07-01
Microsoft opens new team to build an OLAP product, codenamed Pla
to (permutation of letters from OLAP)
1996-07-15
Panorama Software delegation meets with Microsoft
1996-10-27
Microsoft announces acquisition of Panorama Software development

team
1998-11 OLAP Services 7.0 (codename Sphinx) ships
2000-08 Analysis Services 2000 (codename Shiloh) ships
2001-11 XML for Analysis Software Development Kit 1.0 ships
2003-04 ADOMD.NET and XML for Analysis SDK 1.1 ship
2005-10-28
Analysis Services 2005 (codename Yukon) ships
2008-08-06
Analysis Services 2008 (codename Katmai) ships
2012-03-06
Analysis Services 2012
Storage modes[edit]
Microsoft Analysis Services takes a neutral position in the MOLAP vs. ROLAP argu
ments among OLAP products. It allows all the flavors of MOLAP, ROLAP and HOLAP t
o be used within the same model.
Partition storage modes[edit]
MOLAP - Multidimensional OLAP - Both fact data and aggregations are processed, s
tored, and indexed using a special format optimized for multidimensional data.
ROLAP - Relational OLAP - Both fact data and aggregations remain in the relation
al data source, eliminating the need for special processing.
HOLAP - Hybrid OLAP - This mode uses the relational data source to store the fac
t data, but pre-processes aggregations and indexes, storing these in a special f
ormat, optimized for multidimensional data.
Dimension storage modes[edit]
MOLAP - dimension attributes and hierarchies are processed and stored in the spe
cial format
ROLAP - dimension attributes are not processed and remain in the relational data
source.
APIs and object models[edit]
Microsoft Analysis Services supports different sets of APIs and object models fo
r different operations and in different programming environments.
Querying[edit]
XML for Analysis - The lowest level API. It can be used from any platform and in
any language that supports HTTP and XML
OLE DB for OLAP - Extension of OLEDB. COM based and suitable for C/C++ programs
on Windows platform.
ADOMD - Extension of ADO. COM Automation based and suitable for VB programs on W
indows platform.
ADOMD.NET - Extension of ADO.NET. .NET based and suitable for managed code progr
ams on CLR platforms.
ADO.NET Entity Framework - Entity Framework and LINQ can be used on top of ADOMD
.NET (SSAS Entity Framework Provider[5] is required)
Administration and management[edit]
DSO - For AS 2000. COM Automation based and suitable for VB programs on Windows
platform.
AMO - For AS 2005. .NET based and suitable for managed code programs on CLR plat
forms.
Query languages[edit]
Microsoft Analysis Services supports the following query languages
Data definition language (DDL)[edit]
DDL in Analysis Services is XML based and supports commands such as <Create>, <A
lter>, <Delete>, and <Process>. For data mining models import and export, it als
o supports PMML.
Data manipulation language (DML)[edit]
MDX - for querying OLAP cubes
LINQ - for querying OLAP cubes from .NET using ADO.NET Entity Framework and Lang
uage INtegrated Query (SSAS Entity Framework Provider[6] is required)

SQL - small subset of SQL for querying OLAP cubes and dimensions as if they were
tables
DMX - for querying Data Mining models
....