Optimizing Microsoft SQL Server Analysis Services: Optimization Tools: Partition Wizard

Make a Copy of the Budget Cube and Prepare it for Partitioning

1. Open Analysis Manager, beginning at the Start menu.

2. Expand the Analysis Servers folder by clicking the “+” sign to its immediate left.

Our server(s) appear.

3. Expand the desired server.

Our database(s) appear, in much the same manner as shown in Figure 1.

Figure 1: A Sample Set of Databases Displayed within Analysis Manager

4. Expand the FoodMart2000 database.

5. Expand the Cubes folder.

The sample cubes appear, as shown in Figure 2.

Figure 2: The Sample Cubes in the FoodMart2000 Database

NOTE: Your databases / cube tree may differ, depending upon the activities you have performed since the installation of MSAS (and the simultaneous creation of the original set of sample cubes). Should you want or need to restore the cubes to their original state, simply restore the database under consideration. For instructions, see the MSSQL Server 2000 Books Online.

6. Right-click on the Budget sample cube.

Because our lesson will involve making changes to the Budget cube, let’s make a copy of the cube. Working with the copy will allow us to maintain our existing sample cubes in their original condition.

7. Select Copy from the context menu that appears.

8. Right-click on the Cubes folder.

9. Select Paste from the context menu that appears.

The Duplicate Name dialog appears.

As noted in previous articles, we cannot have two cubes of the same name in a given MSAS database.

10. Type the following into the Name box of the Duplicate Name dialog:

SSPerf_Budget

The Duplicate Name dialog appears, with our modification, as depicted in Figure 3.

Figure 3: The Duplicate Name Dialog, with New Name

TIP: As I have mentioned elsewhere in the series, this is also an excellent way of renaming a cube (a “rename” capability is not available here, as it is in many Windows applications). Simply create a duplicate, give it the name to which you wish to rename the old cube, and then delete the old cube. (This also works for MSAS databases.)

11. Click OK to save the name change.

The new cube appears in the cube tree, among those already in place. We now have a copy of the Budget cube, SSPerf_Budget, upon which we can work with the Partition Wizard.