This topic briefly describes the concepts of Structure Codes, ViewSets, and ViewGroups in the Stratum storage database. Understanding these concepts can help you understand the measures, Time dimension, time hierarchies, and named sets that can be generated by Stratum.Connector for Viewer when your administrators set up the Stratum.Connector for Viewer Analysis Services cube and database for your Stratum.Viewer implementation.
During the setup of a storage database for Stratum applications, a System Administrator sets up Structure Codes. Structure Codes determine the structure of warehouse data. When setting up Structure Codes, a Stratum System Administrator determines:
1. The dimensions.
2. How many buckets of time to accumulate data into for each Structure Code -- such as 64 (for information to be organized into a weekly structure) or 12 (for information to be accumulated into a monthly structure).
Once Structure Codes and related data tables are created, additional items are set up to determine how time can be analyzed in various Stratum applications. ViewGroups are associated with Structure Codes. ViewGroups, along with the ViewSets and ViewSetItems the groups are comprised of, determine how users will be able to analyze data in the Structure Codes. Buckets of information can be grouped together in a weekly, monthly, quarterly, or other fashion to give Stratum users flexibility in how they can analyze their data.
Examples of Structure Codes are shown below.
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Stratum.Connector for Viewer organizes this Stratum data into measure groups that get displayed in that application’s Measure Group Selection window. A measure group is made up of partitions, dimensions, and measures based on Structure Code definitions. Examples of measure groups are Accounts Payable - Open, Actual Sales, Budget, Daily Sales, Forecast, Inventory, and Open Orders. Measure groups become the categories seen in places such as the Stratum.Viewer Role Maintenance window and Insert Measure Item window.
As described previously, ViewGroups are associated with Structure Codes to determine how users will be able to analyze their data -- such as in a weekly, monthly, or quarterly format.
ViewSets define the year and period definitions available in Stratum. ViewSetItems define the periods of time that make up each ViewSet. For example, a yearly ViewSet would be defined in terms of calendar years with ViewSetItems such as 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, and so forth. A monthly ViewSet would be defined in terms of calendar months with ViewSetItems such as January, February, March, and so forth.
ViewSets can be either absolute or based. Absolute ViewSets are for specific periods of time. Examples are January 2014 or Week 5 of 2014. Based ViewSets are used to define time periods based on Absolute ViewSets. For example, Current Period of Current Year.
For the three Structure Codes described earlier in this topic, ViewSets such as the eight below could be set up in preparation for creating ViewGroups.
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The ViewGroups can then be set up. A Weekly ViewGroup could be set up and then associated with the Sales and Inventory Structure Codes. A Monthly ViewGroup could be set up for the Forecast Structure Code.
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Stratum.Connector for Viewer uses this Stratum data along with the dimension and measure group selections you make in Stratum.Connector for Viewer to generate various elements of time for use in Stratum.Viewer. Those elements include a Time dimension, named sets, and time range properties (units of time, years, and periods).
Here is a summary of how ViewSets and ViewSetItems are used. See Time Dimension Creation for Stratum.Viewer, Stratum.Planner Influence on Time Range Properties for Measure Items, Stratum.Planner Influence on Caption Variables, and Named Sets for detailed information and examples.
1. ViewSets are used to create hierarchies, levels, and attribute relationships in the Time dimension. ViewSetItems of a ViewSet are used to create time members. The ViewSetItem long descriptions are used as the values for these members.
2. The ViewGroup defined for a Structure Code determines the time units (quarters, months, etc.) available for each measure in the Stratum.Viewer Insert and Edit Measure Item window. Each absolute periodic ViewSet becomes a time unit. The ViewSet priority determines the order in which they display in the Time Unit drop-down list. The ViewSetItems from the absolute and based year ViewSets associated with the selected measure are used to create the available To / From years for the time units. The ViewSetItems from the absolute and based periodic ViewSets associated with the measure are used to create the available To / From periods for each time unit. The based ViewSetItem marked as “Default” in Stratum.Planner will be used as the default year / period for the corresponding time unit.
3. The short description, long description, and years (when applicable) of ViewSetItems are variables that can be used when setting up measure item captions. The variables are available when working with regular measure items that have time ranges.