Schema Tab (Cube Editor Schema View)

Use the Schema tab to display the cube's fact table with a yellow title bar and all dimension tables with blue title bars. Joins are indicated by lines that connect the key columns between the tables.

In the Schema tab, you can organize the structure of a cube in a graphical display, add measures and shared dimensions, and create private dimensions.

To view all columns in a table, lengthen the table window vertically, or use the scroll bars. You can also widen the table window to view long column names.

Note  Changing the structure of a cube causes the results of previous cube processing to be invalidated. After a cube's structure has changed, you must process the cube to re-create its data.

Working in the Schema Tab

This section lists the actions that can be performed in the Schema tab. Many actions can be performed in multiple ways. For example, an action can be accomplished by a drag-and-drop procedure, or by right-clicking an object and then clicking an item on the shortcut menu.

To add a new table

• Right-click anywhere in the Schema tab, and then click Insert Tables. A join using the key column is automatically created between this new dimension table and the fact table.

To browse the data in a table

• Right-click the title bar of the table, and then click Browse Data.

To create a join between two tables

• Select the key column name in the first table, and then drag it to the corresponding key column name in the second table.

To remove a join between two tables

• Right-click the line depicting the join, and then click Remove.

To remove a dimension table

• Right-click the title bar of the table, and then click Remove.

To replace the fact table

• Right-click the title bar of the table you want to replace, and then click Replace Fact Table.

The schema is refreshed with the new fact table. Joins with the existing dimension tables are constructed from the common key columns in the corresponding tables.

When you replace the fact table, if the cube contains multiple partitions, the fact tables for the partitions are not automatically changed. (If the cube contains only one partition, the fact table for the partition is changed to match the new fact table for the cube.) To change a partition's fact table, in the Analysis Manager tree pane, right-click the partition, click Edit, and then use the Partition Wizard.

To change the alias of a table

• Right-click the title bar of the table, and then click Change Alias.

  Note  If the table is the source table of a dimension that is used to define a virtual dimension, this capability is not available.

To add a new dimension

You can add a new cube dimension from any column contained in a table.

• Right-click the column, and then click Insert as Dimension.

  -or-

• Double-click the column. In the Map the Column dialog box, click Dimension, and then click OK.

  -or-

• Drag the column name from the Schema tab to the Dimensions folder.

  Note  If you add or delete dimensions in your cube, you must redesign the aggregations and reprocess the cube.

To add a new measure

You can add a new measure from any numeric or time column contained in the fact table. Each cube must contain at least one measure.

• Right-click the column, and then click Insert As Measure.

  -or-

• Double-click the column. In the Map the Column dialog box, click Measure, and then click OK.

  -or-

• Drag the column name from the Schema tab to the Measures folder.

  Note  If you add or delete measures in your cube, you must redesign the aggregations and reprocess the cube.