This page describes configuration of the metadata associated with Dimensions connected to an Information Source.
Expanding the navigator for a specific Information Source and then expanding the Dimensions node will display all connected dimensions. By selecting one of these connected dimensions in the navigator, the dimensions details related to that dimension and the current Information Source will be displayed.
Figure 1: Information Source Dimension Details
The following information is available:
| Attribute | Description |
|---|---|
| Information Source Id | Identity of the Information Source. Parent key. |
| Dimension Id | Dimension identity. Key |
| Associated Fact Item Id | Information Source item identity that defines the column
in the Information Source table that contains the unique identifier of an
instance of associated dimension. This item is used for standard join between a fact and a dimension. It is joined with the Key Column of the connected dimension. |
| Display Order | Display order of the dimension in the Information Source Navigator in clients. |
| Dimension Alias | Alias of the Dimension. This item is used as the Alias of the Dimension table when the join between Information Source table and Dimension table is built. |
| Has Zoom In Details | Selected if zoom in details are specified in
Information Source Dimension - Detail Items.
Note: By default the current Information Source always supports Zoom In to itself. Dimension details does not have to be defined but normally are. |
| Has Drill Down Details | Selected if drill down in details are specified in
Information Source
Dimension - Detail Items.
Note:If the current Information Source can act as a drill down data source then the attribute can be selected. Else the attribute should not be selected. |
Available operations related to dimensions connected to an Information Source are listed below. First click Dimensions node of a selected Information Source from the tree structure.
Figure 2: Information Sources Dimensions
Click Add New to add a new dimension connection to the current Information Source.
Select the connected dimensions to be removed and click on Delete selected Information Source Dimensions link.
For each connected dimension the following details can be defined:
For each connected dimension it is possible to define the dimensions items that should be displayed when performing Zoom In or Drill Down, typically in IFS Business Reporter.
Expand the current dimension node, next expand Detail Dimension Items and next select a item.
Figure 3: Information Sources Dimension Item Details
The following information is available:
| Attribute | Description |
|---|---|
| Information Source Id | Identity of the Information Source. Parent key. |
| Dimension Id | Dimension identity. Parent key |
| Dimension Item Id | Dimension item identity. Key |
| Zoom In Display Item | Selected if the dimension item should be displayed when generating Zoom In details |
| Zoom In Display Order | Display order of Zoom In items in design controls and when
presenting the Zoom In result in a new work sheet in Excel. Should be synchronized with Zoom In Display Order defined for Information Source Items. Dimension items start with 1 Information Source measure items start with 101 Information Source light items start with 201 |
| Drill Down Display Item | Selected if the dimension item should be displayed when generating Drill Down details |
| Drill Down Display Order | Display order of Drill Down items in design controls and
when presenting Drill Down result in new work sheet in Excel. Should be
synchronized with Drill Down Display Order
defined for Information Source Items. Dimension items start with 1 Information Source items start with 101 Light fact items start with 2 |
Available operations related to detail dimensions items connected to an Information Source are listed below. First click on the Detail Dimension Items as shown in the picture.
Figure 4: Information Source Detail Dimension Items
Click on Add New in the right pane to add a new dimension detail item.
Select the items to be removed and click on Delete selected Fact Detail Dimension Items.
For each connected dimension it is important to define the items (attributes) that represent the natural keys in the fact, i.e. the items in the fact that are (or can be) used to build the dimension identity. This information is important in order to support creation of Access Views. These access views should be possible to create regardless off supported data access type, i.e. if OnLine access is not supported it should still be possible to find out what columns that defines the key of a given dimension.
E.g. if a dimension has the keys Company and Year, also defining the dimension ID, then the items in the fact representing Company and Year should be described.
Expand the dimension node for the current fact, next expand Dimension ID Definition Items and next select a item.
| Attribute | Description |
|---|---|
| Information Source Id | Identity of the Information Source. Parent key. |
| Dimension Id | Dimension identity. Parent key |
| Sequence No | Sequence number of item defining the dimension ID |
| Information Source Item Id | Fact item representing the Sequence No key/item |
| Item Expression | This attribute only provides information, it is not used in any way. The attribute can be used to define how the item in the fact is converted when represented in a dimension ID string, e.g. TO_CHAR(<item_column>, 'YYYY-MM-DD') |
Available operations related to dimensions ID definition items are listed below. First click on the Dimension ID Definition Items as shown in the picture.
Click on Add New in the right pane to add a dimensions ID definition item.
Select the items to be removed and click on Delete selected Information Source Dimension ID Definition Items.
Each Dimension connected to an Information Source has its own set of join definitions. The join information is defined per data access type, e.g. for OnLine and/or Data Mart. However the most common scenario is to define join information for the Online case.
Expand the current dimension node, next expand Dimension Joins and next select a one access type.
Figure 5: Information Source Dimension Join
The following information is available:
| Attribute | Description |
|---|---|
| Information Source Id | Identity of the Information Source. Parent key. |
| Dimension Id | Dimension identity. Parent key |
| Data Access Type | Defines the data access type the information applies to. Can have one of the following values:
|
| Exact Join | Selected if the dimension identity can be exactly defined on each row in the Information Source. E.g. the values that refers to one row in the dimension are always available on every row in the transaction source. Exact join is technically known as inner join. A non-exact join always refers to what technically is called left outer join. |
The Information Source Dimension Joins are defined for each data access type, i.e.
for OnLine and DataMart separately. Click on the
Dimension Joins node to create a new Dimension Join item.
Figure 6: Information Source Dimension Joins
Click on Create OnLine Join in the right pane to create an Online based join between the current Information Source and dimension.
Note: There can be only one Online join per dimension.
Click on Create DataMart Join in the right pane to create a Data Mart based join between the current Information Source and dimension. This case is not very common and should only be used if the Data Mart join can not be handled by the default join mechanism.
Note: There can be only one Data Mart join per dimension.
Select the access type specific dimension joins to be removed in the right side pane and click on Delete Selected Information Source Dimension Joins.
One or more join detail have to be defined for each data access type specific join. The join details are specified as a connection between a dimension item and an Information Source (fact) item.
E.g. the dimension DIM_ACCOUNT has an
ID that is defined as company^account_code,
meaning that one line in the dimension is uniquely defined by the company and the
account code. To define a join for DIM_ACCOUNT, two detail have to be specified:
Expand the data access node and next expand Dimension Join Items and select one if the join items.
Figure 7: Information Source Dimension Join Item
The following information is available:
| Attribute | Description |
|---|---|
| Information Source Id | Identity of the Information Source. Parent key. |
| Dimension Id | Dimension identity. Parent key |
| Data Access Type | Defines the data access type the information applies to.
Key. Can have one of the following values:
|
| Join No | Join detail counter |
| Dimension Item Id | Identity of the dimension item to be joined. |
| Information Source Item Id | Identity if the Information Source (fact) item to be joined with the dimension item. |
Click on the Dimension Join Items node to get available options on this level.
Figure 8: Information Source Dimension Join Items
Click on Add New in the right pane to create a new join item got the current dimension and access type.
Select the dimension join items to be removed in the right panel and the click on Delete Selected Information Source Dimension Join Items.
For each connected dimension it is possible to define the dimensions items that are associated with the Write Back functionality in IFS Business Reporter. Each write back interface can handle a given number of items, either Information Source (Fact) items or Dimension items. The write back specific dimension items are defined as details to a dimension connected to an Information Source.
Expand the current dimension node, next expand Writeback Dimension Items and next select a item.
Figure 9: Information Source Writeback Dimension Item Details
The following information is available:
| Attribute | Description |
|---|---|
| Information Source Id | Identity of the Information Source. Parent key. |
| Dimension Id | Dimension identity. Parent key |
| Dimension Item Id | Dimension item identity. Key |
| Writeback Identity | Identity of the dimension item id that can be interpreted by the API that has the responsibility to process the write back data, e.g. an attribute name in a LU specific attribute string. |
| Writeback Type | Specifies the requirements that the write back interface
has on each item. The following values are supported:
|
| Writeback Display Order | The display order of the item in the Write Back feature
in IFS Business Reporter.
Note: This this attribute should be synchronized
with Write Back Display |
| Writeback Selectable | The attributes is not available for usage and will be deprecated |
Click on the Writeback Dimension Items node to get available options on this level.
Figure 10: Information Source Writeback Dimension Items
Click on Add New in the right pane to add a new Item.
Select items to be removed in the right pane and click the Delete Selected Fact Writeback Dimension Items.