Attribute Relationships: Settings and Properties

This article continues the overview of Attribute Relationships in Analysis Services begun in Introduction to Attribute Relationships in MSSQL Server Analysis Services. Both this article and its predecessor extend the examination of the dimensional model that we began in Dimensional Model Components: Dimensions Parts Iand II. After taking up various additional components of the dimensional model in subsequent articles, we performed hands-on exploration of the general characteristics and purposes of attributes in Dimensional Attributes: Introduction and Overview Parts I through V. We then fixed our focus upon the propertiesunderlying attributes, based upon the examination of a representative attribute within our sample cube., extending our overview into attribute member Keys, Names and Values. This article continues the focus upon attribute relationships, which define the possible associations between attributes, including a discussion surrounding why these relationships are important, and how they define the properties of association that a given attribute has with other attributes. Our concentration here will be the performance of a detailed examination of the propertiesunderlying attribute relationships, along with a review of the respective settings associated with each property, based upon a representative dimension attribute within our sample UDM.