A single Time dimension with multiple time hierarchies, levels, and attribute relationships is created by Stratum.Connector for Viewer when the application processes the Stratum.Connector for Viewer Analysis Services database. The Time dimension components are based on the ViewGroups and ViewSets associated with each measure group selected in Stratum.Connector for Viewer.
Note: See also ViewGroups and ViewSets in the Stratum Storage Database, Using Time Ranges vs. Time Hierarchies in Views, and Stratum.Planner Influence on Time Range Properties for Measure Items.
Stratum.Connector for Viewer creates absolute, based, and rolling based time hierarchies that will be available in any view that has its Time Range property set to No. The time hierarchies, levels, and attribute relationships can be used in rows, columns, and the view filter and can be used for filtering purposes, in graphs, and for calculated measure items. Time hierarchies and their components can be used in the same manner as non-time hierarchies and their components.
When Stratum.Connector for Viewer creates the Time dimension, the application begins by analyzing the ViewSets associated with each selected Measure Group. ViewSets are the basis for creating the time hierarchies, levels, and attribute relationships. ViewSetItems of a ViewSet are used to create time members, and ViewSetItem long descriptions are used as the values for the time members.
Two time hierarchies are created for each absolute periodic ViewSet associated with a selected measure group in Stratum.Connector for Viewer.
The names of the first hierarchy and its levels follow the patterns of:
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The names of the second hierarchy and its level follow the patterns of:
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Three time hierarchies are created for each based periodic ViewSet associated with a selected measure group in Stratum.Connector for Viewer.
The names of the first hierarchy and its levels follow the patterns of:
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The names of the second hierarchy and its level follow the patterns of:
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The names of the third hierarchy and its level follow the patterns of:
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Following is an example of the hierarchies created for the absolute periodic ViewSet “Months” and the associated based periodic ViewSet “Months Based”.
Two hierarchies are created for the Months ViewSet.
1. The first hierarchy is Year Months, and it contains two levels. The first level is Year, for the associated Year ViewSet. The second level is Months, for the absolute periodic ViewSet. This time hierarchy can be used to create period based views that allow the user the ability to drill from year to period on the same axis.
2. The second hierarchy is Months, and it contains a single level with the same name. Stratum.Connector for Viewer also creates Named Sets associated with this level that can be used in creating period based YTD views. See also Named Sets. This time hierarchy can be used in conjunction with other time hierarchies to create period based views with year on one axis and period on the other.
Three hierarchies are created for the Months Based ViewSet.
1. The first hierarchy is Year Based Months Based, and it contains two levels. The first level is Year Based, for the associated based year ViewSet. The second level is Months Based, for the based periodic ViewSet. This time hierarchy can be used to create period based views that allow users the ability to drill from year to period on the same axis using based definitions. The members for this time hierarchy will change as the current month definition changes since the members for each based year must be part of the same absolute year.
2. The second hierarchy is Rolling Year Based Months Based, and it also contains two levels. The first level is Year Based, for the associated based year ViewSet. The second level is Months Based, for the based periodic ViewSet. This time hierarchy can be used to create period based views that allow users the ability to see a rolling set of periods that can cross year boundaries. Since the members for a rolling based year do not have to belong to the same absolute year, this hierarchy should not be used in views that show annual data.
3. The third hierarchy is Rolling Months Based, and it contains a single level with the same name for the based ViewSet. This time hierarchy can be used in conjunction with other time hierarchies to create period based view with year on one axis and period on the other.
The image that follows shows the months hierarchies in the Stratum.Viewer Edit window.
The following view explorer example and table show the levels for the hierarchies. Here are the Months and Months Based hierarchies and levels as seen in view explorer.
Similar hierarchies are created for the other absolute based ViewSets as shown in this table.
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The next two sections have information about the members for the different types of time hierarchies. ViewSetItem long descriptions are used as the values for time members.
Time hierarchies built for absolute ViewSets have member lists for specific periods of time. Consider the hierarchies and levels created for the Months ViewSet earlier in this topic. Example member lists for each level are shown below along with images from Stratum.Planner showing the ViewSetItem long descriptions.
Hierarchy: Year Months
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Hierarchy: Months
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Here are the related long descriptions from the Year and Months ViewSetItems in Stratum.Planner.
Remember there are three time hierarchies built for based periodic ViewSets. The first hierarchy members are determined by absolute member values that fall into the actual calendar years. Example member lists for each level follow along with images from Stratum.Planner showing the ViewSetItem long descriptions.
Here are example members for levels in the first hierarchy, Year Based Months Based. The member list for Months Based will vary depending on which Based Members fall into the actual calendar years. In the example below, April 2014 is the current month. Given this, the member 4 Months Ago will not be included in the member list for the Months Based level because it does not belong to the current year. For example, Current Year Current Period = April 2014, Current Year Previous Month = March 2014, Current Year 2 Months Ago = February 2010, Current Year 3 Months Ago = January 2010. This means that Current Year 5 Months Ago corresponds to December 2013 and since it is not part of Year 2014, that member will not apply to the Months Based member list.
Hierarchy: Year Based Months Based
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Here are the related long descriptions from Year Based and Months Based ViewSetItems in Stratum.Planner. The corresponding absolute ViewSetItems are the ones shown earlier in this section.
As the current month changes, the members for each based year and their Absolute Year and Month are updated. For example, in May 2014 the 4 Months Ago member is added to each based year and the Absolute Year and Month are updated for all members to what is shown below.
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Hierarchy: Rolling Year Based Months Based
Example members for levels in the Rolling Year Based Months Based hierarchy are shown next. As in the previous example, April 2014 is the current period. The member list for the Year Based level always contains the same number of members. The number of members in the level cannot exceed the number of ViewSetItems in the related Absolute ViewSet. In the case of Rolling Year Based Months Based, it is related to the Monthly ViewSet; therefore, its Months Based level can contain up to and including 12 members.
In this case, each rolling based year has 12 members.
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As the current month changes, the members for each Rolling Based Year remain the same. Only their Absolute Year / Month are updated. For example, in May 2014 the Absolute Year and Month is updated for all members to what is shown below.
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Hierarchy: Rolling Months Based
Similar logic as used for the Rolling Year Based Months Based hierarchy is used to determine members for the Months Based level of the last time hierarchy of Rolling Months Based
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If there were more than 12 ViewSetItems associated with Months Based, such as exists in this example, then Stratum.Connector for Viewer would allow members for the ViewSetItem in the 0 (zero) offset position as well as some prior to and after that position. The number of ViewSetItems before the 0 offset position that Stratum.Connector for Viewer includes is based on the formula x/2, where "x" equals the number of ViewSetItems for the Absolute ViewSet. The number of ViewSetItems after the 0 offset position that Stratum.Connector for Viewer includes is based on the formula x/2 - 1.
Note: In the event of ViewSetItems with no ViewSetItems after the 0 offset position, Stratum.Connector for Viewer would use the ViewSetItem in the offset position and take the remaining allowed number of members (x-1) from the positions prior to the offset position.
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Following the formula described above, members for these 12 ViewSetItems would be included as members for the Months Based level of the Rolling Year Based Months Based hierarchy:
Previous Month -5
Previous Month -4
Previous Month -3
Previous Month -2
Previous Month -1
Previous Month
Current Month
Current Month +1
Current Month +2
Current Month +3
Current Month +4
Current Month +5