Stuart, while you are right, that well designed OLAP cubes are way faster than a MV-database queries. I doubt your statement, that "But it is also the fact that the DBMS itself is highly optimised for the task of data analysis", though.
Mecki Boydell, Stuart wrote: > While I completely agree that U2 is totally flexible and easy to interface > with - even though U2 is multidimensional it is not an OLAP or BI system. BI > solutions are specifically designed to crunch data into a form that will > return (usually aggregated) answers across millions of rows in milliseconds. > ie What were sales figures for New South Wales in December, for 2007,2008 & > 2009? > A user on our BI system (MS SSAS) can drag & drop that query and have it > answered in a few seconds. The user can add and change filters and parameters > on the fly (which categories performed, how much is still outstanding) and > the cube will respond instantly. > > Much of this speed is due to several hours nightly processing which > pre-builds the data into optimised aggregates. But it is also the fact that > the DBMS itself is highly optimised for the task of data analysis. > > I just don't think you'd get the RIGHT performance from U2 if you tried to > replicate what the BI systems do - U2 is designed for more generalised > information and reporting (pun intended). > > Cheers, > Stuart Boydell > > -----Original Message----- > From: [email protected] > [mailto:[email protected]] On Behalf Of Tony Gravagno > Sent: Thursday, 4 March 2010 12:16 > To: [email protected] > Subject: Re: [U2] [UV] Essbase or other BI > > > > >> From: Brian F. Paige >> > > >> 1. Does Essbase integrate with U2? >> > > As I've mentioned in my blog and in forums, U2 can connect to > anything - don't let anyone convince you otherwise. One of the > biggest things holding the MV market back is that even people who > use and love the platform have an overwhelming tendency to wonder > whether the system can actually do things that are advertised > elsewhere. Sure it can! > > The primary concern for integrating U2 to anything else is how > fast you need transaction data reflected in the new environment. > That determines whether an interface will be online, offline, or > near-line, and that narrows down your selection of tools to be > used for integration. > > For anyone who's curious, here's info on Essbase: > http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Essbase > Side note: What's more interesting to me is how this is defined > emphatically as "a multidimensional database management system > (MDBMS)", and this page > http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Multidimensional_database > simply redirects to Online Analytical Processing unless you stop > it from doing so. (MV Marketing people should get some clues > here... the rest of the world equates MultiDimensional to OLAP > while most people in our market don't use the term OLAP in > relation to their MV/MD DBMS.) > > Anyway ... what I get from wikipedia is that Essbase really is > nothing more than a database, novel to relational folks but > nothing unusual to us. So Essbase Analytics is a pretty GUI on > top of a system just like what you have now, just marketed as > something special. (Perhaps MV Marketing people will find > another clue there.) The important thing is not Essbase itself, > but what the pretty GUI provides. And that leads us to an > evaluation of functionality... > > > >> 2. What other packages are out there that would be comparable? >> > > What I recommend is that you define specific goals for reporting > and then decide if you need extended reporting tools or if you > need Business Intelligence. For MV-centric tools you'll find > products like MITS from MITS, Informer from Entrinsik, Velocity > from Tantiva, DeepSee from InterSystems, and Viságe from Stamina. > Some of these are for BI and others reporting... > > In addition to the more common mainstream offerings, many people > like Jasper Reports, but (arguably) that's not BI. I have been > very impressed by ClickView and some of our colleagues are > integrating MV with it. I'd welcome an opportunity to do so as > well. You may also get what you need using off-the shelf > development tools like Telerik Reporting (for less than 1k plus > development time compared to 50-100k just to start working with > some of the others). > > You'll find many discussions on reporting and BI in the archive > for this forum, and in comp.databases.pick. Here is a link to > one such thread: > http://tinyurl.com/ydx52rd > Google using query: > group:comp.databases.pick > and terms like mits, entrinsik, reporting, etc. Example: > group:comp.databases.pick mits > group:comp.databases.pick reporting > > HTH > > BTW, I used to contract for Serta Corporate back in the early > 90's when they were running on Microdata. Fond memories... > > Tony Gravagno > Nebula Research and Development > TG@ remove.pleaseNebula-RnD.com > Nebula R&D provides Pick/MultiValue products > worldwide, and provides related development services > remove.pleaseNebula-RnD.com/blog > Visit PickWiki.com! Contribute! > http://Twitter.com/TonyGravagno > > > _______________________________________________ > U2-Users mailing list > [email protected] > http://listserver.u2ug.org/mailman/listinfo/u2-users > > ****************************************************************************************************** > This email message and any files transmitted with it are confidential and > intended solely for the use of addressed recipient(s). If you have received > this communication in error, please reply to this e-mail to notify the sender > of its incorrect delivery and then delete it and your reply. It is your > responsibility to check this email and any attachments for viruses and > defects before opening or sending them on. Spotless collects information > about you to provide and market our services. 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