Introduction
This is the first in a series of blog posts related to work done at a global client operating in the reinsurance industry. The object of this series is to describe the challenges posed and the techniques utilized in constructing several large-scale SSAS Tabular cubes at a global reinsurance company. The term ‘Data Layer’ appears in many contexts in this and the following blogs. One can think of ‘Data Layer’ as essentially a data mart in common usage.
We will look at techniques used to overcome some of the business and technical challenges posed:
- SSAS 2016 Tabular Model inadequacies compared to Multidimensional Model
- Excel 2010 as the desired reporting platform (yes this was in 2016); in Sharepoint – VBA not an option
- Fact tables of ~170 million rows (Financial/Accounting); ~65 million rows (contracts); ~70 million rows (claims)
- 18 M:M relationships (at first count in Financial/Accounting data layer, more may have been added)
- Currency conversions of multiple types; transactions in about 190 currencies
- 40-50 years of history with InceptionToDate aggregations
- Triangular development periods
- … and many other considerations
Check back here to stay up to date with the latest publications in the series!
- Analysis Services Tabular: Dimensional Default Members – Click Here
- Analysis Services Tabular: Factless Facts and Revealing Object Relationships – Click Here
- Analysis Services Tabular: Many-To-Many Relationships, Bridge Tables, and Blank Members – Click Here
- Analysis Services Tabular: Displaying History and Slowly Changing Dimensions – Click Here
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To learn more on how Tallan can help transform your data into knowledgeable insights with SQL Server 2016, CLICK HERE.