How to Optimize SSAS Dimension Sorting When Browsing in Excel: A Comprehensive Guide
Introduction
Analyzing data in Excel connected to SQL Server Analysis Services (SSAS) can be a powerful way to gain insights and make decisions based on your data. However, one common issue that arises is the unexpected sorting of dimensions when browsing. This can especially become a problem when you have a specific order you want your data to appear in—for instance, sorting account types by their ID rather than their name.
In this guide, we'll walk through how to effectively sort SSAS dimensions more intuitively when browsing in Excel. Additionally, we'll touch upon how these principles can be applied to improve reporting and analytics in Power BI.
Understanding Dimension Sorting in SSAS
In a typical SSAS setup, dimensions are crucial for categorizing and grouping data for analysis. However, the default sorting of dimension attributes can sometimes lead to confusing or non-intuitive results. For example:
- Current Order: Automobile, Credit, Lease
- Desired Order: Credit, Automobile, Lease
The solution lies in setting the "Order By" attribute for individual attributes within your dimensions. By default, dimensions may be ordered by their names, but changing this setting to order by a key (such as an ID) can achieve the desired sorting.
Step-by-Step Guide to Adjusting Dimension Sorting
- Open SQL Server Data Tools (SSDT): Launch your SSAS project within SSDT.
- Navigate to the Dimension Attribute: In the Solution Explorer, expand the Dimensions folder and open the dimension you need to adjust. Locate the attribute you want to sort in a different manner.
- Access Attribute Properties: Right-click on the attribute and select 'Properties'. A property window should open displaying several options.
- Adjust the 'Order By' Setting: Around the 10th entry in the attributes property list, you will find an 'Order By' property. Change this from 'Name' to 'Key'. The 'Key' would typically be an identifier like
AccountID
, while the 'Name' would correspond to something like AccountName
.
- Process and Deploy: After making changes, remember to process your dimension and deploy your project to ensure the changes take effect in your SSAS database.
The Impact on Data Analysis in Excel
After making these adjustments, the way data is presented when browsing dimensions in Excel should intuitively match the logical or business order rather than just alphabetical or another non-relevant ordering. This ensures that when analysts or business users leverage Excel for data exploration, they can navigate and understand the data more efficiently.
Sharing Insights in Power BI
The principles of dimension sorting in SSAS also translate when integrating SSAS as a data source for Power BI reports. Power BI, a data visualization tool, greatly benefits from well-structured SSAS models. Ensuring dimensions are sorted correctly in SSAS:
- Enhances the usability and readability of reports in Power BI.
- Reduces confusion and improves the accuracy of data interpretation.
- Streamlines report development, as less time is spent trying to manually adjust or compensate for unintuitive data sorting.
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Integration Tips for Power BI
- Use SSAS as a Live Data Source: Configuring Power BI to use SSAS as a live data source ensures that any sorting or modeling adjustments made in SSAS are directly reflected in Power BI.
- Leverage Power BI's Sorting Options: Although SSAS model adjustments are crucial, also familiarize yourself with Power BI's own sorting capabilities to fine-tune your reports further.
Conclusion
Proper dimension sorting is crucial for making your analytical processes in tools like Excel and Power BI more efficient and intuitive. By setting the 'Order By' attribute to sort by 'Key' rather than 'Name', you can significantly improve the data browsing experience.
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