Data Source Views (Analysis Services - Multidimensional Data)
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 Designing Multidimensional Objects without an Existing Relational Schema, and Defining 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 Analysis Services, SQL Server Integration Services, and SQL Server Reporting Services, 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.
A data source view is a logical representation of the data that is used by Analysis Services objects. A data source view is built from the data sources already defined in the database. A data source view contains the metadata that is required to build the data model required by an Analysis Services object. A data source view can build the data model from some of the data elements in one data source, or it can build the data model from multiple elements from different data sources. A data source view can contain relationships, calculated columns, and queries that are not present in the underlying data sources.