Multiple Time Utility Dimensions (By Chris Webb)

Time Utility Dimensions (or, strictly speaking with AS2005 attribute hierarchies) are useful things. I first learnt about them from George Spofford through various newsgroup postings and the first version of ‘MDX Solutions’ and they have become one of the most commonly used design techniques in Analysis Services cubes; indeed, they have been built into the product in the form of the ‘Define Time Intelligence’ functionality of the ‘Add Business Intelligence’ wizard. 

So what is there that’s new to say about them? Well, sometimes it’s useful to have more than one. Take for example the following bit of MDX Script created by the wizard that creates two calculated members (Year-To-Date and Year-Over-Year Growth) on the [Year-Month Period Calculations] attribute on a simple time dimension...

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