Case Study 3: Linking Two Databases

Assume that TBC has two main databases—Sample.Basic and TBC.Demo. Both databases have similar outlines, but TBC.Demo has two additional dimensions:

The DBA for Sample.Basic notices that more users are requesting that she add channel information to Sample.Basic. But, because she does not own the data for channel information, she is reluctant to do so. Instead, she decides to allow her users to link to the TBC.Demo database, which already contains this information.

Note:

This example is not shipped with Essbase.

  To link two databases:

  1. Determine which data to link.

    The DBA decides to link the Product dimension of Sample.Basic to the Product dimension of TBC.Demo.

    Users can then drill across to TBC.Demo and view the Channel and Package information.

  2. Choose the data source and the data target.

    Because users start at the Sample.Basic database, it is considered the data target. Because users move to TBC.Demo, it is considered the data source.

    Note:

    This setup is the opposite of replicated and transparent databases, in which users move from the data target to the data source.

  3. Decide which type of partition to use.

    Use a linked partition because the databases have different dimensionality.

  4. Create the partition:

After the databases are linked, users and DBAs see the following benefits: