Require help on starting for OLAP

  • Currently i am using sql queries to show data in excel pivot tables. however, data is very large around in millions and take so much time in refreshing the reports.

    I am planning to build star schema and OLAP to fetch data in excel pivot tables. Will it be good start? my excel contains many pivot tables and pivot charts. Is there any good article to start it?

    i am using sql server 2012.

  • if your pivot table show less data,it may be useful

    but i suggest you should do these things:

    first of all, aggregate data in cube, as far as possible

    second, the workload is hard if you refresh all the tables(pivot table) at one time ,many users would be worse.

    so your ssas server should be strong

  • I have few questions based on wht you mentioned:

    1) Is SSAS server same as SQL Server

    2) My pivot tables has around millions of data.

    3) Currently many pivot tables and charts in one excel sheet.

    4) Will it make really any impact converting it into OLAP cubes. Currently data is fetched from SQL server through queries.

  • just try

    i think it will improve 80% at least

  • sqlinterset (9/2/2015)


    Currently data is fetched from SQL server through queries

    You should post the one that takes the longest along with the information identified in article at the second helpful link in my signature line below.

    --Jeff Moden


    RBAR is pronounced "ree-bar" and is a "Modenism" for Row-By-Agonizing-Row.
    First step towards the paradigm shift of writing Set Based code:
    ________Stop thinking about what you want to do to a ROW... think, instead, of what you want to do to a COLUMN.

    Change is inevitable... Change for the better is not.


    Helpful Links:
    How to post code problems
    How to Post Performance Problems
    Create a Tally Function (fnTally)

  • sqlinterset (9/2/2015)


    I have few questions based on wht you mentioned:

    1) Is SSAS server same as SQL Server

    2) My pivot tables has around millions of data.

    3) Currently many pivot tables and charts in one excel sheet.

    4) Will it make really any impact converting it into OLAP cubes. Currently data is fetched from SQL server through queries.

    1) No. SSAS is a different product. SSAS is an OLAP engine, SQL Server is a database engine.

    2) Pivot tables are meant to show aggregated data, not millions of rows. Who wants to look at millions of rows? If you are showing aggregated data, then SSAS might indeed be a solution.

    3) That's not a question.

    4) It might. Depends on how well the cube is designed, what kind of data you have and how you query it.

    This book might be a good start:

    Knight's Microsoft Business Intelligence 24-Hour Trainer

    Need an answer? No, you need a question
    My blog at https://sqlkover.com.
    MCSE Business Intelligence - Microsoft Data Platform MVP

  • seeingfuluu (9/6/2015)


    just try

    i think it will improve 80% at least

    How can you say such a thing?

    Depending on the data and the type of queries, SSAS might be even worse.

    For example: distinct counts on millions of rows will probably be worse in SSAS.

    Need an answer? No, you need a question
    My blog at https://sqlkover.com.
    MCSE Business Intelligence - Microsoft Data Platform MVP

  • sqlinterset (8/31/2015)


    Currently i am using sql queries to show data in excel pivot tables. however, data is very large around in millions and take so much time in refreshing the reports.

    I am planning to build star schema and OLAP to fetch data in excel pivot tables. Will it be good start? my excel contains many pivot tables and pivot charts. Is there any good article to start it?

    i am using sql server 2012.

    You're not fixing the problem and you're possibly bringing other problems into play such as maintaining and refreshing your "star schema".

    My recommendation is that you've correctly identified the problem of the queries taking a long time. Fix them. 😉 Once that's done, they might be useful in maintaining your "star schema".

    --Jeff Moden


    RBAR is pronounced "ree-bar" and is a "Modenism" for Row-By-Agonizing-Row.
    First step towards the paradigm shift of writing Set Based code:
    ________Stop thinking about what you want to do to a ROW... think, instead, of what you want to do to a COLUMN.

    Change is inevitable... Change for the better is not.


    Helpful Links:
    How to post code problems
    How to Post Performance Problems
    Create a Tally Function (fnTally)

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