Understanding OLAP Catalog Metadata

OLAP Catalog metadata presents relational data as a logical cube. It is stored in tables in the OLAP Catalog, and it can be queried using the OLAP Catalog views.

The OLAP API uses OLAP Catalog metadata to access relational data stored in star, snowflake, and embedded-total configurations.

The OLAP API does not use OLAP Catalog metadata to access data stored in analytic workspaces. However, OLAP Catalog metadata is required by the DBMS_AWM package (and Analytic Workspace Manager) for building analytic workspaces.

The DBMS_AWM enabler procedures optionally create an OLAP Catalog cube that maps to relational views of an analytic workspace. The OLAP API does not use this cube, nor its underlying views, to query an analytic workspace. The OLAP API queries data in an analytic workspace directly, using standard form metadata within the workspace.

The OLAP Analytic Workspace API does not use OLAP Catalog metadata for building analytic workspaces. See Chapter 25 for more information.

You can create OLAP Catalog metadata with Oracle Enterprise Manager, Oracle Warehouse Builder, or the CWM2 procedures. OLAP Catalog metadata created in Enterprise Manager maps to star and snowflake schemas only. You can create OLAP Catalog metadata for embedded-total dimension and fact tables, as well as star and snowflakes, using Warehouse Builder or the CWM2 procedures.