Deciding when to use personal Intelligent Cubes and Intelligent Cubes

Task

Personal Intelligent Cubes

Intelligent Cubes

Creating and managing Intelligent Cubes

All creation and management is handled automatically by Intelligence Server:

• Pro: No time is needed for the creation and administration of personal Intelligent Cubes.

• Con: You have less control over the set of data in Intelligence Server memory.

You must create, publish, and manage the Intelligent Cube available in Intelligence Server memory:

• Pro: You can create and publish the exact set of data required. You can use the Cube Monitor to publish, share, and manage your Intelligent Cubes.

• Con: Time is required to create and manage your Intelligent Cubes.

Accessing the data warehouse (full relational analysis)

Full access to re-execute against the data warehouse is granted:

• Pro: You can refine your report with full relational analysis against the data warehouse.

• Con: As with any query against the data warehouse, this puts an extra load on the data warehouse and takes time to process. Also, the personal Intelligent Cube must be updated.

Access to re-execute against the data warehouse is only possible by drilling on data:

• Pro: The Intelligent Cube remains valid and processing time against the data warehouse is minimal. It is also more difficult or impossible for someone reporting on Intelligent Cube data to unintentionally cause re-execution against the data warehouse, preventing extra load on the data warehouse.

• Con: Refining the set of data in your Intelligent Cube published for multiple reports requires you to modify the Intelligent Cube and republish it to Intelligence Server.

Sharing data

Personal Intelligent Cubes are linked to a single report:

• Pro: The report can use OLAP Services to analyze report data and is always updated with the latest version of the personal Intelligent Cube.

• Con: The copy of report data in Intelligence Server memory only applies to a single report.

Multiple reports can access a single Intelligent Cube:

• Pro: A single set of data in Intelligence Server memory can supply multiple reports, reducing access to and processing in the data warehouse.

• Con: Modification of an Intelligent Cube can invalidate the data for reports that access the Intelligent Cube.

Filtering data

Both view filters and report filters can be used:

• Pro: You can take advantage of the reporting features available for view filters and report filters in the same report.

• Con: Modifying report filters requires re-execution against the data warehouse and modification to the personal Intelligent Cube.

Only view filters can be used:

• Pro: Filtering is achievable with view filters and can be processed within an Intelligent Cube.

• Con: Some filtering techniques available with report filters are not available with view filters, and thus not available for reports connected to an Intelligent Cube. For a comparison of view filter and report filter features, see View filters versus report filters.

Using prompts

Prompts can be used just as in any standard report.

• Pro: You can use any applicable prompts in your project.

• Con: Modifying prompt answers requires re-execution against the data warehouse and modification to the personal Intelligent Cube.

Prompts are limited to the objects included in Intelligent Cubes.

• Pro: All variations of prompt answers can be processed within an Intelligent Cube.

• Con: Prompts must be created to only access data within an Intelligent Cube.

Applying security filters

Security filters are automatically detected and enforced.

Security filters are automatically detected and enforced.

Using consolidations and custom groups

Consolidations and custom groups can be used in reports that access personal Intelligent Cubes.

Consolidations and custom groups cannot be used in reports that access Intelligent Cubes. However, you can use derived elements in reports that access Intelligent Cubes to provide much of the same functionality.

Using derived elements

You cannot use derived elements in a personal Intelligent Cube; they can only be used in a report that accesses a shared Intelligent Cube. However, you can use consolidations and custom groups in reports that access personal Intelligent Cubes to provide much of the same functionality.

Derived elements can be used and created on reports that access an Intelligent Cube. For information on derived elements, see About derived elements .

Using dynamic aggregation, view filters, and derived metrics

All of these OLAP Services features are available for reports accessing a personal Intelligent Cube.

All of these OLAP Services features are available for reports accessing an Intelligent Cube.