OLAP - Online Analytical Processing

Defintion of OLAP

OLAP, or online analytical processing, presents and stores data in a format that is easily understood, and uses calculations that measure data, to respond in meaningful ways to questions asked by a user.

How OLAP Works

An OLAP engine takes data from single or multiple data sources and reorganizes it into a multidimensional structure. This structure makes navigating and analyzing data more intuitive and faster.

OLAP Engines

Microsoft SQL Server 2005 Analysis Services

Microsoft SQL Server 2005 Analysis Services is the most commonly deployed OLAP engine, that both stores business logic and key performance indicators [KPI's] and combines data for easy analysis.

Data in the OLAP engine is accessed using an analysis too, such as Business Intelligence [BI] applications, and desktop applications such as:

• Microsoft Office Excel 2007
• Office PerformancePoint Server 2007
• ProClarity Analytics
• Scorecards
• Dashboards

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