Tuesday 22 September 2009

NOTE: OLAP Security and the SAS-BI Blog

Whilst advising a client on the infamous "The cube has too few dimensions" OLAP error message, I was minded to re-research what information was available. I'm glad I did because I not only found the (expected) SAS usage note 14626 I also found a hit on the SAS-BI blog run by Angela Hall. This blog is a real gem and I was glad to be reminded of it.

The "too few dimensions" message is one of those mis-leading messages that can have you scratching your head for a long time. You can read the details in the two sources of information that I mentioned, but I'll summarise by saying that it's a security-related issue and not a problem with the cube - despite the implications of the message.

The SAS-BI hit provides a link to one of Angela's earlier postings that gives valuable advice on the many ways to refresh a cube. Deleting and rebuilding your cubes every evening isn't always the best approach!

The SAS-BI blog has been running since August 2005 (the very first post was talking about OLAP) and has to-date accumulated 134 posts. It represents an excellent collection of SAS Business Intelligence hints, tips and experience. Many of the posts relate to V9.2, so it's contemporary too. A visit to sas-bi.blogspot.com is highly recommended. For news of the latest blog updates (and Angela's progress with her 30-day challenge - #30dchallenge), follow SASBI on Twitter.