Design Considerations for Attribute Queries

When selecting and building views based on attribute query data, some queries on attribute data are always dynamically calculated at the time of retrieval, which may affect query performance.

Every query involving attribute dimension members must also include at least one member from the base dimension. If the query involves a single attribute dimension and a sum-of-all dimension member, Essbase aggregates the query data, potentially improving query performance. In other cases, Essbase must calculate the query at the time of retrieval.

Table 199 describes attribute query types and how Essbase calculates the query:

Table 199. Attribute Queries and Calculation Performance

Attribute Query Type

Query Calculation Type

Query involves a sum-of-all base dimension member and members from one attribute dimension.

Essbase can aggregate query data, potentially improving query performance.

Query involves any member of the base dimension and members from multiple attribute dimensions.

Essbase calculates the query at the time of retrieval based on the level 0 input data.

Query involves any child member of the base dimension member (or dimension member that is tagged as label-only) and members from one attribute dimension.

Essbase calculates the query at the time of retrieval based on the level 0 input data, or on data from aggregations on the base dimension.

In the outline displayed in Figure 157, Outline for Attribute Query Example, RealDimension is the sum of all its descendents (it is not tagged as label-only). If a query involves one or more members from a single attribute dimension (for example, AttributeDimension1), crossed with the base dimension member (RealDimension), Essbase can build aggregate cells for the data, potentially improving query performance.

The following queries, however, are always calculated at the time of retrieval: