Dimension Types

A dimension type is a property that Essbase provides that adds special functionality to a dimension. The most commonly used dimension types: time, accounts, and attribute. This topic uses the following dimensions of the TBC database to illustrate dimension types.

Database:Design 
  Year (Type: time)
  Measures (Type: accounts)
  Product
  Market
  Scenario
  Pkg Type (Type: attribute)
  Ounces (Type: attribute)

Table 5 defines each Essbase dimension type.

Table 5. Dimension Types  

Dimension Types

Description

None

Specifies no particular dimension type.

Time

Defines the time periods for which you report and update data. You can tag only one dimension as time. The time dimension enables several accounts dimension functions, such as first and last time balances.

Accounts

Contains items that you want to measure, such as profit and inventory, and makes Essbase built-in accounting functionality available. Only one dimension can be defined as accounts.

For discussion of two forms of account dimension calculation, see Accounts Dimension Calculations.

Attribute

Contains members that can be used to classify members of another, associated dimension.

For example, the Pkg Type attribute dimension contains a member for each type of packaging, such as bottle or can, that applies to members of the Product dimension.

Country

Contains data about where business activities take place. In a country dimension, you can specify the currency used in each member.

For example, Canada has three markets—Vancouver, Toronto, and Montreal, which use the same currency, Canadian dollars.

Currency partition

Separates local currency members from the base currency defined in the application. This dimension type is used only in the main database and is only for currency conversion applications. The base currency for analysis may be U.S. dollars, and the local currency members may contain values that are based on the currency type of their region.