Data Source Views (Analysis Services)
A data source view contains the logical model of the schema used by Analysis Services database objects—namely cubes, dimensions, and mining structures. A data source view is the metadata definition, stored in an XML format, of these schema elements used by the Unified Dimensional Model (UDM) and by the mining structures. A data source view:
- Contains the metadata that represents selected objects from one or more underlying data sources, or the metadata that will be used to generate an underlying relational data store. For more information, see Working with Relational Schemas, and Working with Data Sources (Analysis Services).
- Can be built over one or more data sources, letting you define OLAP and data mining objects that integrate data from multiple sources.
- Can contain relationships, primary keys, object names, calculated columns, and queries that are not present in an underlying data source and which exist separate from the underlying data sources.
- Is not visible to or available to be queried by client applications.
A data source view gives you flexibility in constructing objects in SQL Server 2005 Analysis Services (SSAS), SQL Server 2005 Integration Services (SSIS), and SQL Server 2005 Reporting Services (SSRS), in that Analysis Services database objects are bound to the logical objects contained in the data source view, instead of being directly bound to the underlying physical objects in the underlying data sources. Therefore, you can define logical objects, such as calculated columns or named queries, that do not exist in an underlying data source and which you might not have permissions to define in an underlying data source.
See Also
Concepts
Data Sources (Analysis Services)
Analysis Services Objects
Working with Data Source Views (Analysis Services)