OLAP Tools

OLAP Online Analytical Processing

The foremost element of OLAP is OLAP server, residing between the client and a database management systems(DBMS).There are two types of OLAP server based on the functionalities.They are as follows:

1. ROLAP : An acronym of Relational Online Analytical Processing,which utilises the relational database source
2. MOLAP:An acronym of Multidimensional Online Analytical Processing, which utilises the multidimensional database source

Functionalities:

• Power to render parallelism furnished by RDBMS and hardware : This enhances the tool's performance and more apparently assists in loading the data quickly
• Performance:In addition to rendering parallelism,the tool should have the ability in loading and reading the data from the cube
  
• Customization efforts:In today's world the rate at which OLAP tools are used as reporting tool are increasing and for certain ROLAP implementations, the same OLAP tools are being utilized as the reporting tool.Hence the ease of customization must be handled efficiently
  
• Security Features: Since OLAP tools are being utilized by ' n ' number of users, the security is a BIG concern.The data must be authenticated for every login user.Usually SSO (Single Sign On) policy is adopted for security concerns.
  
• Metadata Support:The support of the Metadata in an OLAP tool is essential,because OLAP tools combines the data into the cube and also serves as the front- end tool.

Popular Tools

• Business Objects
• Cognos
• Hyperion
• Microsoft Analysis Services
• MicroStrategy