advanced olap data sources with mdx

SQL SERVER 2008 REPORTING SERVICES

ADVANCED OLAP DATA SOURCES WITH MDX

SetFocus Business Intelligence Master’s Program

Table of Contents

Chapter Slide #

Chapter Objectives 3

Summary of Examples 4

Visual Studio Project File 5

Creating the Shared Data Source 6

Example 1: Basic PIVOT table

Example 2: Trend line chart with a 12-month moving average 7

Example 3: a nested MDX TOPCOUNT and an MDX RANK, over a user-defined date range 16

Example 4: showing KPIs 24

Example 5: Cascading Parameters with OLAP data 32

Example 6: (Quarter Parameter, show data for current/prior quarter, annotate both dates) 39

Example 7: Data Mining

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Chapter Objectives

Show how to create reports against OLAP databases without writing any MDX code

Show how to override the MDX that SSRS generates, with custom MDX

Modify the query parameters that SSRS generates Manually create our own query parameters Create reports against Analysis Services KPIs Show how to implement reports with cascading parameters Show reports against Data Mining Models

3

Examples in this chapter

1. Creating a Matrix/Pivot table report with drilldown capabilities

2. Creating a trend line chart with a 12-month moving average (using a pre-written MDX calculated member to determine the 12-month moving average)

3. Create a report that generates a nested MDX TOPCOUNT and an MDX RANK, over a user-defined date range

4. Create a report that retrieves KPIs

5. Implementing Cascading Parameters with OLAP data

6. Create a report with a Quarter Parameter, show data for current and prior quarter, and annotate both dates

7. Create a report against a data mining model

4

Visual Studio Project File

The project that we’ll create consists of: A Shared Data Source for the Waremart OLAP Database

on the SFMPBISQL\SQL2005 server (see next slide for details on creating the shared data source)

Five report RDL files

5

Creating the Shared Data Source

To create the shared data source:1. Right-click on the Shared Data

Sources folder and select Add New Data Source

2. Give the Data Source a name (dsWareMartOLAP), and select Microsoft SQL Server Analysis Services as the Data Source Type

3. Click the EDIT button to edit the connection properties. In the Connection Properties window, enter the server name (SFMPBISQL\SQL2005), and select Waremart 2005 as the OLAP database

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Creating a trend line chart with a 12-month moving average using MDX

rpt01_BasicOLAP.rdl

Demo: Example 17

Demo 1, End result

Report prompts for a geography selection (either All, or a country, or a state, or a city)

Report shows Internet Sales on the row axis, by Product Category, Product SubCategory, and individual product (using SSRS drilldown feature)

Report also breaks down sales by Fiscal year and Fiscal quarter on the column axis, using the same drilldown feature

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Demo 1: Steps to reproduce

1. Create a new report (rpt01_BasicOLAP.rdl)

2. Create a new DataSet (using the shared Data Source dsADW2008OLAP), selecting Fiscal Year & Fiscal Quarter of Year, Product Category/Product SubCategory/Product, and one measure (Internet Sales) for the output

3. Define a Parameter based on the Customer dimension/Customer Geography Hierarchy

1. Visual Studio will auto-generate a dataset with MDX code for this parameter.

2. We will want to modify the MDX code to only show Geography down to the state level

3. That will require a manual change to the RDL file, so that Visual Studio will never overwrite our MDX modifications

4. Create a Matrix report that will contain Row Groups for Category – SubCategory – Product, and column Groups for Fiscal Year - Quarter

5. Add totals and drilldown capabilities for the necessary groups

6. Annotate the page headings for the Parameters selected

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Demo 1, DataSets and Parameters

Report will contain the following: DataSets

dsSales CustomerCustomerGeography (Generated by SSRS)

Parameters @CustomerCustomerGeography (Generated by SSRS)

Matrix Column Groups for FY Year and Quarter Row Groups for Product Category/SubCategory/Product

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Demo 2, Step 1 of 7 Create a new dataset called dsSales Drag in the following from the

metadata on the left: Date…Fiscal…Fiscal Year and Fiscal

Quarter of Year Product….Category, SubCategory,

and Product Measures….Internet Sales Amount

Create a dimension filter parameters at the top (SSRS will automatically generate DataSets for the dropdown): Customer…Customer Geography Make sure to check the Parameters

checkbox Visual Studio will generate a hidden

dataset with MDX code, to populate a dropdown list

We only want the user to make a Geography selection down to the City level.

Ideally, we’d have a subset hierarchy in the dimension cube – but since we don’t, we’ll need to modify the generated MDX (see next steps)

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Demo 2, Step 2 of 7

Reporting Services 2008 has default behavior we need to modify

In the prior step, we created a parameter for the Geography Hierarchy. As a result, SSRS automatically generated a second dataset with

MDX code to populate a parameter dropdown (and that’s a good thing)

SSRS (Visual Studio) also allows us to modify the MDX code for that second dataset, if we only want a subset of the hierarchy (and that’s also a good thing)

However, by default, if we ever go back and modify the first dataset, or modify the new report parameter, Visual Studio will regenerate the MDX dataset code. This will overwrite our custom changes – and that’s NOT a good thing!!!

Fortunately, there’s a workaround. You must do this BEFORE modifying any of the generated MDX code: Close the report designer, but keep the overall SSRS project open In Solution Explorer, right click on the report, and take the View

Code Option For each instance of a </Query>..</DataSet> combination, enter

the following: <rd:SuppressAutoUpdate>true</

rd:SuppressAutoUpdate>

Save the code, close the code window and reload the report in the Visual Studio designer

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Developer Alert! SSRS has a UFO (Undesirable Feature Object) that we must address

Demo 2, Step 3 of 7

After modifying the report RDL to suppress any auto-generation of MDX datasets, we can modify the MDX code in the 2nd dataset.

By default, MDX-generated datasets don’t appear in the Report Data Window pane. We need to right-click on the data source, and select Show Hidden DataSets.

Visual Studio will then display the 2nd hidden dataset (CustomerCustomerGeography). We can right-click on the dataset and modify the query

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Demo 2, Step 4 of 7

In the generated MDX code, change the ON rows statement to the following:

DESCENDANTS( [Customer].[Customer Geography],

[Customer].[Customer Geography].[City],

SELF_AND_BEFORE) ON ROWS

Make sure to execute the code (using the icon) to test the result set

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Demo 2, Step 5 of 7

Drag a Matrix control into the report body Drag the Category column from the Dataset into the

Matrix (into the Rows area) Drag the FiscalYear column from the Dataset into the

Matrix (into the columns area) Drag the InternetSalesAmount from the Dataset into the

Matrix (into the Data area) To add the additional row groups:

Click on the dropdown for Category (in the Row Group area) and add a Group (as a child group) and select the SubCategory as the column for the group.

Right-click on the new Subcategory group (which is probably called “Group1”) and go to the properties. Change the name of the group to grpSubCategory.

Click on the dropdown for the new Subcategory group (in the Row Group area) and add a group (as a child group) and select the Product as the column for the group.

Right-click on the new Product group (which might also be called “Group1”) and go to the properties. Change the name of the group to grpProduct.

To add total sections for the row groups: For each of the row groups, click the specific dropdown and

select Add Total - Before

15

Demo 2, Step 6 of 7

To add the additional column groups: Click on the dropdown for Fiscal Year (in the Column Group area)

and add a Group (as a child group) and select the Fiscal Quarter of Year as the column for the group.

Right-click on the new Fiscal Quarter group (which is probably called “Group1”) and go to the properties. Change the name of the group to grpQuarter.

To add total sections for the column groups: For each of the column groups, click the specific dropdown and

select Add Total – Before

For each of the open cells in the matrix where you’d want a total, click the small grid in the upper right corner and select the Internet Sales amount. (Alternatively, you can drag the sales amount from the DataSet into the cell)

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Demo 2, Step 7 of 7

To implement drilldown in the row and column area: First, make sure all the textboxes in the Matrix (for Category –

Subcategory – Product, and Fiscal Year – Fiscal Quarter) are named appropriately (e.g. txtSubCategory). The drilldown feature will reference these textboxes by name.

For the grpProduct group, right-click, go to properties, go to the Visibility section, and set Hidden to True and Toggleitem to the textbox for SubCategory

For the grpSubCategory group, right-click, go to properties, go to the Visibility section, and set Hidden to True and ToggleItem to the textbox for Category.

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Creating a trend line chart with a 12-month moving average using MDX

rpt02_MovingAverageOLAP.rdl

Demo: Example 218

Demo 2: End Result

Report shows sales dollar revenue as a column bar and the 12 month moving average as a horizontal line

The trend line helps to visually assess if monthly revenue is above or below the 12 month average (at that month)

User can select one or more years, and a product category or subcatregory

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1. Create a new report (rpt01_TwelveMonthMovingAverage.rdl)2. Create a new DataSet, selecting Months and two measures

(Revenue and 12 month moving average) for the output 3. Define two parameters for Year and Geography 4. Create a chart that will plot the Monthly Revenue as a column

bar and the 12 month moving Avg for Revenue as a line, with Months as the X-Axis

5. Customize the chart (colors, legend placement, etc.)6. Annotate the page headings for the Parameters selected

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Report uses the following: DataSets

dsSales TimeYear (Generated by SSRS) CustomerRegionToCity (Generated by SSRS)

Parameters TimeYear (Generated by SSRS) CustomerRegionToCity (Generated by SSRS)

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Demo 2, Step 1 of 5

Create a new dataset Drag in the following from the left:

Time…Month Measures….Dollar Sales Measures…12 Month Avg

Create two dimension filter parameters at the top (SSRS will automatically generate DataSets for the dropdowns): Time….Year (default to 2005) Customer…RegionToCity (default to ALL)

For reference, the MDX code for 12 month average uses the MDX functions AVG and LASTPERIODSavg ( LastPeriods(12,[Time].[Month].PrevMember), [Measures].[dollar Sales])

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Demo 2, Step 2 of 5

Go to Layout Drop a chart from the toolbox into

the report body Stretch the chart as far out as your

wish Drag Month from DataSets to the X-

axis (Drag Category Fields here) Drag Dollar Sales and 12 Month Avg

from DataSets to Drag Data Fields here

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Demo 2, Step 3 of 5

Right-click on Chart Properties Go to Legend Set Layout to Row Click on bottom center for position

Right-click on ID12MonthAvg Change Series Label to “12 Mnth Avg” Go to Appearance….check Plot Data As Line

Right-click on Chart Properties (again) Go to Plot Area Style Go to FILL Create a Gradient Fill Then go to Y-Axis Enter “Revenue “for Title and “C0” for

Format Code

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Demo 2, Step 4 of 5

For both Parameters, turn multi-value OFF Under the layout tab, select the Report Menu Select Parameters Note that SSRS already generated the TimeYear

and CustomerRegionToCity report parameters, when we created the query parameters (Slide 11)

Turn Multi-value OFF for both parameters (by default, SSRS makes OLAP parameters MULTI-VALUE)

Note that each of the 2 generated parameters has an associated DataSet that SSRS also generated.

If you want to see the DataSets that SSRS generated, go back to the data tab, click the DataSet pulldown, and review the MDX code for the 2 new DataSets

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Demo 2, Step 5 of 5

Create a Page Heading to annotate the parameter values Select the Report Menu, select Page Header Create a textbox in the header

Enter the following expression:

= "Revenue and 12 Month Moving Average for “ & ltrim(Parameters!CustomerRegionToCity.Label)

& " for " & ltrim(Parameters!TimeYear.Label)

Finally, to get the data recap below the graph: Drag a table object from the toolbox, and place it below the

chart Drag in the Month, Dollar Sales, and 12 Month Average into

the columns (and format the Dollar Sales and 12 Month Average as currency)

You’re finished! Go ahead and Preview

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Demo 2, Final notes

Note that the Region to City dropdown is not a true hierarchical dropdown

You can’t expand/collapse the regions – the dropdown is a flat indented list

Not very practical for viewing the hierarchy

Two alternatives to get a true hierarchical, tree-like dropdown: If deploying to a native SSRS server, build an

ASP.NET webpage to create a better dropdown If deploying to MOSS (SharePoint Server),

MOSS has web parts that allow us to create better dropdowns

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Create a report that generates a nested MDX TOPCOUNT and an MDX Ranking over a user-defined date range

rpt03_TopProductsAndCitiesOLAP.rdl

Demo: Example 328

Demo 3: End Result

Report allows the user to see the TOP N Regions by Revenue, and within each region, the TOP Y categories

Report allows the user to select a range of months

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1. Create a new report (rpt03_NestedTopCountWithDateRange.rdl)

2. Create a new DataSet and manually enter MDX code to deal with a NESTED TOPCOUNT

3. Manually create parameters for the Customer and Product TOPCOUNT limits

4. Create a Parameter for the time Period5. Define the Layout

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dsSales MonthStart (generated automatically by SSRS) MonthEnd (generated automatically by SSRS)

Parameters MonthStart (generated automatically by SSRS) MonthEnd (generated automatically by SSRS) TopRegionCount (unbound parameter, manually created) TopProductCount (unbound parameter, manually created)

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Demo 3, Step 1 of 4

1. Click the DataSet pulldown

2. Create a new dataset (dsSales) Enter the MDX Code: (provide code)

WITH SET [RegionSet] AS Topcount ([Customer].[Region].children,@TopRegionCount , [Measures].[Dollar Sales])

SET [MainSet] AS GENERATE( [RegionSet] , ( [Customer].[Region].CurrentMember, TOPCOUNT( [Product].[Category].Children, @TopProductCount, [Dollar Sales])))

member [RankProd] as RANK( ([Customer].[Region].currentmember, [Product].[Category].currentmember), exists([MainSet], [Customer].[Customer].CurrentMember))

member [RankCust] as RANK( ([Customer].[Region].currentmember), [RegionSet])

select {[Measures].[Dollar Sales], [RankCust], [RankProd]} ON columns, [MainSet] on rowsfrom sales where ( strtomember(@MonthStart) : strtomember(@MonthEnd) )

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Demo 3, Step 2 of 4

1. Click the Query Parameters button and enter the following query parameters:1. TopRegionCount

2. TopProductCount

3. MonthStart (using the Time/Month Dimension/Hierarchy)

4. MonthEnd (using the Time/Month Hierarchy)

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Demo 3, Step 3 of 4

1. Design the report layout1. Build a basic group for the Region

2. Add the Ranking numbers for both the Region and Product

3. Build a long header expression based on the parameters

= "Top " & Parameters!TopRegionCount.Value & " Regions and Top " & Parameters!TopProductCount.Value & " Products from “ & Parameters!MonthStart.Label & " to " & Parameters!MonthEnd.Label

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Demo 3, Step 4 of 4

1. Report Parameter Screen1. You can mimic a pulldown for the

topcounts by placing pairs of sequence values (1, 2, 3, etc.) in the Available values

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Create a report that retrieves KPIs

rpt04_UsingKPIOLAP.rdl

Demo: Example 436

Demo 4: End Result

Even if an organization doesn’t use SharePoint/PerformancePoint, you can still render KPIs graphically in an SSRS report

Important step beforehand: Create a folder under C:\INETPUB\

WWWROOT, called KPIImages (two I’s)

Save the following six images to that folder: RedImage.JPG, GreenImage.JPG,

YellowImage.JPG DownArrow.JPG, UpArrow.JPG,

RightArrow.JPG

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1. Create a new report (rpt04_UsingKPIs.rdl)2. Drag in Product Category, Sales, and KPI information3. Create Parameter filters for Time/Quarter and Customer

Region4. Lay out the report5. Create expressions to dynamically load images for KPIs 6. Set report column headings for interactive sorting

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dsSales TimeQuarter (generated automatically by SSRS) CustomerRegion (generated automatically by SSRS)

Parameters TimeQuarter (generated automatically by SSRS) CustomerRegion (generated automatically by SSRS)

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Demo 4, Step 1 of 4

1. Drag in the following from the Cube Browser1. Prod Category

2. Dollar Sales and Returns

3. KPI Returns Pct1. Value, Status, Trend

2. Note that the result set doesn’t contain images for the KPI Status and Trend – just the numeric values

3. We can build images dynamically based on the 3 values

4. Create 2 Parameter Filters for Time/Quarter and Customer/Region

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Demo 4, Step 2 of 4

1. Create the layout as shown on the left

2. Create empty Image controls for the KPI Status and Trend1. Drop an instance of the image control

into the two columns for Status and Trend

2. When the image wizard comes up each time, simply click FINISH (we don’t want to use the image wizard)

3. We will use dynamic image capabilities next

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Demo 4, Step 3 of 4

1. Create a report Report Pararameter called KPIPicLocation (as a hidden parameter)1. Click the Report menu dropdown, select

Parameters, and add a new Parameter called KPIPicLocation, and make it hidden

2. Provide a value for the location of the images: http://localhost/KPIImages/

2. For the KPI Status Image, enter the following formula (click on the image, hit F4 to access the property sheet, and go to the VALUE property) (provide code)=switch( Fields!KPIReturnsPct_Status_.Value=1, Parameters!KPIPicLocation.Value & "greenimage.jpg",

Fields!KPIReturnsPct_Status_.Value=0, Parameters!KPIPicLocation.Value & "yellowimage.jpg",

Fields!KPIReturnsPct_Status_.Value=-1,Parameters!KPIPicLocation.Value & "redimage.jpg")

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http://localhost/KPIImages/

Demo 4, Step 4 of 4

1. Repeat the previous step for the KPI Trend Indicator (provide code)

=switch( Fields!KPIReturnsPct_Trend.Value=1, Parameters!KPIPicLocation.Value & "uparrow.jpg",

Fields!KPIReturnsPct_Trend.Value=0, Parameters!KPIPicLocation.Value & "rightarrow.jpg",

Fields!KPIReturnsPct_Trend.Value=-1, Parameters!KPIPicLocation.Value & "downarrow.jpg")

2. Miscellaneous steps:Turn off multi-value for report parameters

Create a Page Header to annotate the Parameters chosen

Turn on column heading interactive sorting

43

Implementing Cascading Parameters with OLAP data

rpt05_CascadingParmOLAP.rdl

Demo: Example 544

Demo 5: End Result

Report will demonstrate cascading parameters

User will select a city, and then SSRS will only show the product SKUs in distribution for the city

This could mean the difference between the SKU dropdown being thousands of items, or maybe just a dozen items

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1. Create a new report (rpt05_OLAPCascadingParameters.rdl)2. Create a new DataSet that shows Dollar Sales by Day, with

parameters for Customer/City, Product/SKU3. Define the 2nd Parameter (Product) to only show products

that were sold for the account selected (cascading parameter)

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dsSales CustomerCity (generated automatically by SSRS) ProductRTProdSKU (generated automatically by SSRS)

Parameters CustomerCity (generated automatically by SSRS) ProductRTProdSKU (generated automatically by SSRS)

47

Demo 5, Step 1 of 3

1. Drag in the following from the Cube Browser1. Time….Day

2. Dollar Sales

2. Create 2 Parameter Filters for Customer/City and Product/SKU

48

Demo 5, Step 2 of 3

1. Now we need to modify the Product DataSet, so that the Report Parameters will only list those products that were sold for the current selected account

2. Go to the DataSet ProductRTProdSKU (sometimes you don’t see the dataset right away…click on LAYOUT and then back to DATA)

3. Change the MDX code – specifically, change the ON ROWS statement to the following: (provide code) filter( [Product].[Rt Prod Sku].children, [dollar sales] > 0) ON ROWS

FROM ( SELECT ( STRTOSET(@CustomerCity, CONSTRAINED) ) ON COLUMNS FROM [Sales])

49

Demo 5, Step 3 of 3

1. Build the layout (just a Detail Level for Day and Dollar Sales)

2. Annotate the Parameters at the top

50

Create a report with a Quarter Parameter, show data for current and prior quarter, and annotate both dates

rpt06_QuarterTrendOLAP.rdl

Demo: Example 651

Demo 6: End Result

Uses OLAP database dsWareMart

Use SSRS OLAP Designer for the measures

Use custom MDX to set the default for the Quarter Parameter to most recent quarter

This report may initially seem easy, but as it turns out, requires a great deal of MDX

We need to create MDX DataSets to determine the most recent quarter, and to determine the previous quarter

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1. Create a new report (rpt06_QuarterParameter.rdl)2. Create a new DataSet and include a Quarter Dimension

Parameter3. Verify the new Quarter Parameter4. Build a new DataSet to determine the most recent quarter5. Map the DataSet to the quarter Dimension Parameter6. Create a new DataSet with MDX code to determine the

previous quarter7. Create an invisible parameter to hold the label for the previous

quarter8. Define the Layout

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dsSales TimeQuarter (Generated by SSRS) dsPreviousQuarter dsQuarterDefault

Parameters TimeQuarter (Generated by SSRS) PreviousQuarter

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Demo 6, Step 1 of 7

1. Click the DataSet pulldown

2. Create a new dataset (dsSales)

3. Select the Customer Region attribute and drag it into the grid results

4. Select the 2 measures [Dollar Sales] and [DollarSalesPreviousTime] and drag them into the grid results

5. Create the Quarter Parameter1. Select the Time/Quarter attribute hierarchy

2. Provide an initial default value (again, we’ll change programmatically)

3. Make it a parameter

6. SSRS adds a new DataSet for the Time/Quarter Parameter (TimeQuarter)

55

Demo 6, Step 2 of 7

1. Go to the Layout Tab

2. Click the Report Parameters menu pulldown

3. Note that SSRS automatically creates a report parameter (on Quarter) from the previous screen

4. Change the Prompt

56

Demo 6, Step 3 of 7

1. Must tweak the MDX that the SSRS designer made for the Time/Year Parameter (we don’t want see the ALL Member)

2. Go to the TimeQuarter DataSet

3. Change the ON ROWS statement to the following (basically change ALLMEMBERS to Children):[Time].[Quarter].children ON ROWS

57

Demo 6, Step 4 of 7

1. Create a new DataSet

2. Call it dsQuarterDefault

3. Will contain one row, for the most recent quarter of available data

4. Go into MDX mode

5. Add the following MDX code: (provide code)

WITH MEMBER [Measures].[ParameterValue] AS [Time].[Quarter].CURRENTMEMBER.UNIQUENAME

SELECT [Measures].[ParameterValue] ON COLUMNS ,

TAIL( FILTER([Time].[Quarter].children, [Dollar Sales]),1)

ON ROWS

FROM [Sales]

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Demo 6, Step 5 of 7

1. Go back to Layout

2. Go back to Report Parameters

3. For the TimeQuarter Parameter:

1. Change the Default Values to “From Query”

2. Set the DataSet to dsQuarterDefault

3. Set the Value Field to ParameterValue

This will force the Timequarter dropdown to always default to the most recent quarter

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Demo 6, Step 6 of 7

1. Create a new DataSet

2. Call it dsPreviousQuarter

3. Will contain one row, for the previous quarter from the current quarter member

4. Go into MDX mode

5. Click the Query Parameters button ( ) and enter the query parameter for Time Quarter (see lower left of this slide)

6. Add the following MDX code: (provide code)WITH MEMBER [Measures].[ParameterCaption] AS[Time].[Quarter].CURRENTMEMBER.MEMBER_CAPTION

SELECT [Measures].[ParameterCaption] ON COLUMNS , STRTOMEMBER(@TimeQuarter).PrevMember ON ROWS FROM SALES

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Demo 6, Step 7 of 7

1. Go back to Report Layout

2. Create a new Report Parameter called PreviousQuarter (we’ll use this parameter to “capture” the value from dsPreviousQuarter)1. Check the Hidden checkbox

2. Change the Default Values to “From Query”

3. Set the DataSet to dsPreviousQuarter

4. Set the Value Field to ParameterCaption

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advanced olap data sources with mdx

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