Monday, June 8, 2015

What is MDX, and Why Should I Learn It?



"Multi-Dimensional Expressions", better known as MDX, is an industry standard language defined by Microsoft and adopted by many vendors to query analysis servers.   

If you have intermediate SQL programming skills, you have a head start on MDX, but there is much more to learn.  SQL was designed to define, manipulate, and query data that is organized in tables with rows and columns. MDX was designed to query, calculate, and analyze data that is organized in multiple measures, dimensions, hierarchies, and levels. Just like tables, rows, and columns are the framework for SQL, dimensions, hierarchies, and levels are the building blocks for MDX.  Nevertheless, MDX has many nuances that clearly distinguish it from SQL, making it a language all its own.   

Understanding MDX will improve your ability to retrieve meaningful and accurate data if you work with and troubleshoot analytical cubes, calculated members, KPIs (Key Performance Indicators), and security structures in SQL Server Analysis Services. 

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