MDX Solutions: With Microsoft SQL Server Analysis Services [With CDROM]

by Christopher Webb, Sivakumar Harinath, Dylan Hai Huang, et al.

Book Overview

A hands-on tutorial on building and using multidimensional data warehouses The SQL query language is used to access data in most simple databases. But for multidimensional (or OLAP) data warehouses, Microsoft developed MDX. The MDX query language has become essential know-how for developers and users alike, whether for data warehouses or for budgeting and planning systems. This tutorial/reference guide shows developers and users how to use MDX to...

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0471400467
• ISBN13: 9780471400462
• Release Date: July 2001
• Publisher: John Wiley & Sons
• Length: 704 Pages
• Weight: 1.65 lbs.
• Dimensions: 1.0" x 7.5" x 9.2"

Customer Reviews

Good Advanced Level MDX Book

If you are new to MDX, this book is not going to be an easy read at all. However, it has a very good "MDX Function and Operator Reference" as an Appendix. This reference is indispensable to me when I am writing MDX statements. It is much more usable than the online reference that ships with SQL Server Analysis services. There is much useful information to be found within its covers if you already have an understanding of MDX. I use this book in conjunction with the "Fast Track to MDX" book. Both books have their strengths and weaknesses and I equally benefited from both.

hmm... it offers solutions however

i don't know why people here complains about lack of solutions. what's about me, i've found many useful tips & solutions inside that book. especially how to use virtual cubes and make them really 'virtual' with morphing underlying dimensions and measures extremely with mdx. more, these methods work well in the real world. i think it's worth to spend money for that book. definitely it helped me a lot with mdx and cubes' implementation.

Great tutorial and reference to MDX

The book provides an excellent tutorial & reference to MDX which is today's default lingua franca as OLAP query language. George does a great job in bringing home MDX and developing solutions using MDX. I recommend this book and also the other title from George & Erik Thomsen on Microsoft OLAP solutions which is as well a excellent book on building OLAP solutions with Microsoft Analysis Services. The other salient feature I wish to emphasise is the author - George Spofford as been kind enough to answer email queries from readers on the subject matter. Erik Thomsen and George Spofford are gurus in the Microsoft Analysis Services. The best thing I found about the book was the authors not only bring out the strengths of analysis services but also its limitations. This helps somebody embarking on implementing analysis services be aware of its limitations and workaround those limitations. In all I give 5 stars for the book there are not many honest authors out there. My only request to the authors is now since the next release of Microsoft SQL Server - Yukon is due for release is next 3 months and Yukon will be another major landmark in SQL Server and Analysis Services technology with several major features slated to debut in Yukon it would be highly appreciated if the authors post appendix chapters on new Yukon features as and when it comes on their web site which will be a great benefit to existing owners of their books.

Good book

This book is very helpful in mastering MDX and unleashing its potential after you finish studying Analysis Services architectural components from other sources. The author demonstrates good knowledge and expertise in the subject and provides very helpful examples and interesting implementations. The illustrations in the book also make understanding MDX easier, since MDX, like XPath, has some concepts like hierarchies and context that are best understood by visualization.However, his writing style is very parenthetical and rife with interludes, which is sometimes irksome and disrupt a smooth flow of ideas. Buy it if you're building a non-trivial UI for Analysis Services or asked to generate sophisticated reports. Understanding how MDX works will also improve your OLAP designing skills.

Great book to fill the MDX knowledge gap

Let us begin by acknowledging that MDX is a nontrivial topic. With SQL Server 2000 and Analysis Services, Microsoft is providing arguably the most powerful OLAP solution at perhaps the lowest price. But with power comes complexity. Much of this complexity is to be found in the OLAP query language: MDX. Developers will welcome any assistance in climbing this learning curve, and Spofford's book was quick to fill this gap. This is a thick book, and it is not padded with screenshots of wizards. More than half of the book deals with the syntax and semantics of MDX. It provides a new OLAP sample database for those of us tired of playing with "Foodmart". There are also chapters on local cubes and client programming in ADO. The last quarter of the book is reference material. The MDX function and operator reference in Appendix A includes easily comprehended graphical explanations of function behaviors.This is not a book geared towards administrators or end users or casual developers. Expect to sweat the details here and to do so from chapter 1. This is a book to read at your computer as you learn the power of MDX by running the examples queries. This author's experience is apparent in the examples, which demonstrate real-world OLAP use cases. Examples range from simple to sophisticated, so this book will useful to both intermediate and advanced MDX programmers.One weakness of the book is that, since it was written prior to the final release of Analysis Services, there may be some inconsistencies. But the book's web site should post updates and corrections. Also, the book mentions but does not cover the XML for Analysis technology that was released by Microsoft last month (July). XML for Analysis allows SQL Server tables and cubes to be queried using SOAP and XML. Using the WebService Behavior, Internet Explorer can directly make MDX queries and present the results with HTML or graphically (see intrasight.com).Since MDX has emerged as the defacto standard for OLAP query, all product developers and report developers will want to add this book to their library.Chris Harrington Active Interface, Inc.