intro to dimensional reporting?

[calson33]

Hi all,

My background is in relational reports, but I would like to learn a bit about dimensional reporting.

Can anyone recommend a good book, or sites that would be helpful to learn about it?

Thanks!
John

[calson33]

Nothing at all?

I can do anything that comes up here in SQL, but when people start talking dimensional reporting, it's all Greek to me.

[tjohnson3050]

Some reading:

http://pic.dhe.ibm.com/infocenter/cx/v10r1m0/index.jsp?topic=%2Fcom.ibm.swg.ba.cognos.ug_cr_rptstd.10.1.0.doc%2Fc_cr_rptstd_dimensional_reporting_style.html

http://www.ibm.com/developerworks/data/library/cognos/page82.html

http://www.redbooks.ibm.com/abstracts/sg247912.html

[CognosPaul]

There is a significant learning curve when it comes to dimensional reporting. The best way to learn dimensional reporting is to forget what you know about SQL. MDX is a different language that follows different rules. Attempting to build a report on a cube using the same methodology as a relational database will just end in frustration.

I've written a few posts on this forum about it:
http://www.cognoise.com/index.php?topic=11024.0
http://www.cognoise.com/index.php?topic=17832.0
http://www.cognoise.com/index.php?topic=18290.5

The best place to start would be to enroll in the IBM multidimensional reporting course. I've recently led that, and can vouch that it covers nearly everything you'll need to know.

Failing that, start looking for MDX tutorials.  Once the theory is understood, the practical side will simply fall into place.

[calson33]

Thanks guys!

[calson33]

Paul - Can you give me a link to that course?

The closest I could find was:
IBM Cognos Report Studio: Author Reports with Multidimensional Data (V10.2)

Is that the one?

Thanks!
john

[CognosPaul]

That's exactly the course I meant.