Microsoft SQL Server OLAP Services is a fully featured OLAP capability that is a component of Microsoft SQL Server version 7.0. OLAP Services includes a middle-tier server that allows users to perform sophisticated analyses on large volumes of data, with exceptional performance. A second feature of OLAP Services is a client cache and calculation engine called PivotTable Service, which helps improve performance and reduce network traffic. PivotTable Service allows users to conduct analyses while disconnected from the corporate network.
OLAP is a key component in the data warehousing process, and OLAP Services provides essential functionality for a wide array of applications ranging from corporate reporting to advanced decision support. The inclusion of OLAP functionality within SQL Server can help make multidimensional analysis more affordable and bring the benefits of OLAP to a wider audience. This includes not only smaller organizations, but also groups and individuals within larger corporations that have been excluded from the OLAP industry by the cost and complexity of today’s products.
Coupled with a wide variety of tools and applications that support OLAP applications through the Microsoft OLE DB for OLAP interface, OLAP Services can increase access to sophisticated analytical tools and can reduce the costs of data warehousing.