Analysis Services Architecture
Microsoft SQL Server 2005 Analysis Services (SSAS) uses both server and client components to supply online analytical processing (OLAP) and data mining functionality for business intelligence applications:
- The server component of Analysis Services is implemented as a Microsoft Windows service. SQL Server 2005 Analysis Services supports multiple instances on the same computer, with each instance of Analysis Services implemented as a separate instance of the Windows service.
- Clients communicate with Analysis Services using the public standard XML for Analysis (XMLA), a SOAP-based protocol for issuing commands and receiving responses, exposed as a Web service. Client object models are also provided over XMLA, and can be accessed either by using a managed provider, such as ADOMD.NET, or a native OLE DB provider.
- Query commands can be issued using the following languages: SQL; Multidimensional Expressions (MDX), an industry standard query language for analysis; or Data Mining Extensions (DMX), an industry standard query language oriented toward data mining. Analysis Services Scripting Language (ASSL) can also be used to manage Analysis Services database objects. Related topics:Key Concepts in MDX (MDX), Multidimensional Expressions (MDX) Reference, Analysis Services Scripting Language (ASSL), Data Mining Extensions (DMX) Reference
Analysis Services also supports a local cube engine that enables applications on disconnected clients to browse locally stored multidimensional data. For more information, see Client Architecture (Analysis Services)
| Topic | Description |
|---|---|
Describes components of Analysis Services. |
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Describes the components in the interaction between Analysis Services and its clients. |
See Also
Other Resources
Analysis Services Administration Programming (SSAS)
Analysis Services Data Access Interfaces (SSAS)