Linked Measure Groups
In Microsoft SQL Server Analysis Services, a cube is based on a data source view. If a cube that was defined in a different database contains a measure group that may be useful if included in your cube, you can create a reference to that measure group from your database, and then incorporate it into your cube. This reference, called a linked measure group, allows you to share data across cubes within duplicating data.
Linked measure groups are treated like any other measure group in a cube, with some usage limitations. Linked measure groups are identical to other measure groups when accessed by client applications, and are queried in the same manner as other measure groups.
Usage Limitations
The measures contained in a linked measure group can be directly organized only along linked dimensions retrieved from the same Analysis Services database. However, you can use calculated members to relate information from linked measure groups to the other, non-linked dimensions in your cube. You can also use an indirect relationship, such as a reference or many-to-many relationship, to relate non-linked dimensions to a linked measure group. Related topics: Dimension Relationships. Linked Dimensions, Using Linked Objects in a Cube
Note
You cannot create a linked measure group from another linked measure group.
Note
Writeback is not supported in linked measure groups.
When you query a cube that contains a linked measure group, the link is established and resolved during the first calculation pass of the destination cube. Because of this behavior, any calculations that are stored in the linked measure group cannot be resolved before the query is evaluated. In other words, calculated measures and calculated cells must be recreated in the destination cube rather than inherited from the source cube.
Security
After the link has been defined, access to the measures in a linked measure group, is managed in the same manner as access to other measure groups. For more information on managing security for a measure group, see Granting Cube Access.
In order to define or use a linked measure group, the Windows service account for the Analysis Services instance must belong to an Analysis Services database role that has ReadDefinition and Read access rights on the source Analysis Services instance to the source cube and measure group, or must belong to the Analysis Services Administrators role for the source Analysis Services instance.