Foundations of SQL Server 2008 R2 Business Intelligence, Second Edition

Multiple Fact Tables in a Single Cube

Beginning with SSAS 2005, SSAS is no longer limited to basing your cube on a single source fact table. Since a single cube can now be based on multiple fact tables, OLAP modeling with SSAS more closely aligns with the way most customers want to view their enterprise data. Much of the work to incorporate multiple fact tables into one enterprise cube needs to be done during the OLAP modeling phase of your project. Conceptually, you can think of this modeling as multiple star schemas, where multiple fact tables reuse the “points” of the stars (or the dimensions). Figure 5–1 illustrates this concept.

Figure ...