Case Scenario: Implementing Low-Latency OLAP and Deployment Strategies CHAPTER 7 313 in C#

Creation Code 128A in C# Case Scenario: Implementing Low-Latency OLAP and Deployment Strategies CHAPTER 7 313

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A measure group stores data physically in partitions. Partitions in a measure group can have different storage modes and aggregation designs. SSAS cubes perform best with MOLAP. Consider using HOLAP with very large and infrequently used partitions. Consider ROLAP to implement real-time partitions when you cannot use proactive caching. Aggregations are recalculated summaries of data. You might gain a remarkable performance increase by implementing useful aggregations. Useful aggregations are a byproduct of a good dimensional design. At design time, use the Aggregation Design Wizard to design aggregations using a cost/benefit algorithm. SSAS supports various deployment options to meet different management needs. During design time, use BIDS to deploy and process the changed object automatically. Deploying changes to a test or production environment typically requires more granular deployment. You can use the Deployment Wizard to preserve the existing management settings on the target server. Use the Synchronize Database Wizard to sync metadata and database changes between two SSAS databases. The SSAS processing architecture supports different processing options to minimize the database processing time. Processing a database fully is the easiest and cleanest way to process all objects contained in the database, but it might also take the longest. Proactive caching provides various advanced settings and notification options to meet different data latency needs.

n enterprise-level platform, such as SQL Server Analysis Services (SSAS), must be trustworthy. A trustworthy system protects the data assets it captures by enforcing restricted access to sensitive data. A trustworthy system must also be easy to manage and monitor. As an SSAS administrator, you will be performing various day-to-day tasks, such as managing the SSAS server instance(s); deploying, backing up, restoring, and synchronizing databases; automating repetitive tasks; managing storage; processing objects; securing the Unified Dimensional Model (UDM); and monitoring the server performance. SSAS provides a comprehensive management framework to help you perform all of these activities. In this chapter, you will learn how to use SSAS security features to protect data in the cube. In addition, you will learn how to back up and restore databases and monitor the health and performance of your SSAS installations. The source code for this chapter is available in the ..\Source\Ch 08\ folder within your Documents folder.

Exam objectives in this chapter:

Configure permissions and roles in SSAS. Install and maintain an SSAS instance. Diagnose and resolve performance issues.

To complete this chapter, you must have:

Knowledge of Windows users and groups. Experience working with Windows services. Knowledge of dimensions and measure groups.

As an administrator, you will not get very far with SSAS if you do not have a good grasp of how its security model works. You need to master this security model to meet real-life security requirements for protecting cube metadata and data. This lesson starts by discussing SSAS server roles and then teaches you how to implement restricted access to the cube data.

The SSAS user security architecture is layered on top of Windows security. Users are authenticated based on their Windows accounts and authorized according to their role memberships.

To simplify security management, SSAS lets you group Windows users and groups into roles. The security policies you define in a role restrict the cube space that the user is authorized to access.

When you install SSAS, the Setup program installs a predefined server-wide Administrators role. A user who is a member of this role has unrestricted access to the entire server. For example, members of the Administrators role can create SSAS databases and change server properties. You cannot delete the Administrators role. Initially, the Administrators role is empty, but if you have local administrator rights on your machine, you can manage your local SSAS instance undeterred. Why The reason is that the Setup program grants implicit SSAS administrative rights to the local members of the Windows LocalMachine\Administrators group.