Remote Partitions
The data of a remote partition is stored on a different instance of Microsoft SQL Server Analysis Services than the instance that contains the definitions (metadata) of the partition and its parent cube. A remote partition is administered on the same instance of Analysis Services where the partition and its parent cube are defined.
Note
To store a remote partition, the computer must have an instance of SQL Server Analysis Services installed and be running the same service pack level as the instance where the partition was defined. Remote partitions on instances of an earlier version of Analysis Services are not supported.
When remote partitions are included in a measure group, the memory and CPU utilization of the cube is distributed across all the partitions in the measure group. For example, when a remote partition is processed, either alone or as part of parent cube processing, most of the memory and CPU utilization for that partition occurs on the remote instance of Analysis Services.
Note
A cube that contains remote partitions can contain write-enabled dimensions; however, this may affect performance for the cube. For more information about write-enabled dimensions, see Write-Enabled Dimensions.
Storage Modes for Remote Partitions
Remote partitions may use any of the storage types used by local partitions: multidimensional OLAP (MOLAP), hybrid OLAP (HOLAP), or relational OLAP (ROLAP). Remote partitions may also use proactive caching. Depending on the storage mode of a remote partition, the following data is stored on the remote instance of Analysis Services.
Storage Type |
Data |
MOLAP |
The partition's aggregations and a copy of the partition's source data |
HOLAP |
The partitions aggregations |
ROLAP |
No partition data |
If a measure group contains multiple MOLAP or HOLAP partitions stored on multiple instances of Analysis Services, the cube distributes the data in the measure group data among those instances of Analysis Services.
Merging Remote Partitions
Remote partitions can be merged only with other remote partitions that are stored on the same remote instance of Analysis Services. For more information about merging partitions, see Merging Partitions.
Archiving and Restoring Remote Partitions
Data in remote partitions can be archived or restored when the database that stores the remote partition is archived or restored. If you restore a database without restoring a remote partition, you must process the remote partition before you can use the data in the partition. For more information about archiving and restoring databases, see Managing Backing Up and Restoring (Analysis Services).