Lesson 8: Defining Actions
In this lesson, you will learn to define actions in your Analysis Services project. An action is just a Multidimensional Expressions (MDX) statement that is stored in Analysis Services and which can be incorporated into client applications and started by a user.
Note
A completed project through Lesson 7 is available by downloading and installing the samples. For more information, see Considerations for Installing SQL Server Samples and Sample Databases.
Analysis Services supports the types of actions that are described in the following table.
CommandLine |
Executes a command at the command prompt |
Dataset |
Returns a dataset to a client application. |
Drillthrough |
Returns a drillthrough statement as an expression, which the client executes to return a rowset |
Html |
Executes an HTML script in an Internet browser |
Proprietary |
Performs an operation by using an interface other than those listed in this table. |
Report |
Submits a parameterized URL-based request to a report server and returns a report to a client application. |
Rowset |
Returns a rowset to a client application. |
Statement |
Runs an OLE DB command. |
URL |
Displays a dynamic Web page in an Internet browser. |
Actions let users start an application or perform other steps within the context of a selected item. For more information, see Actions (Analysis Services - Multidimensional Data), Defining and Configuring Actions (Analysis Services - Multidimensional Data)
Note
For examples of actions, see the action examples on the Templates tab in the Calculation Tools pane or in the examples in the Adventure Works DW sample data warehouse. For more information, see Adventure Works Sample Data Warehouse.
This lesson includes the following task:
- Defining and Using a Drillthrough Action
In this task, you define, use, and then modify a drillthrough action through the fact dimension relationship that you defined earlier in this tutorial.