BI-Lite CUBE-it Zero can be used either to produce fully functional production OLAP cubes, or for prototyping cube structures within a proof of concept environment. Due to it's simplicity of use, it deliberately does not cover all of the functionality provided by SQL Server Analysis Services, this is by design. However, it does provide an extremely rapid production environment.
CUBE-it Zero does not deliver full Data Warehousing, if you require this level of functionality you should take a look at our flagship Data Warehousing Toolset, Data Academy which provides complete Data Warehouse building functionality based around SQL Server.
Application Configuration
CUBE-it Zero can be configured to connect to any instance of SQL Server and Analysis services that the user has both physical and security access to. It does require a blank "working database". This is a blank SQL Server database that it can use as a scratch area, between execution this can be cleared down, releasing and saving disk space.
CUBE Building
Building a CUBE is a simple 4 stage process
Connect to the data source
Build a data source query
Define the cube structure
Process the cube
The following sections describe these steps in more technical detail
Connecting to the Data Source  | SQL Server - Data from any SQL Server to which the logged on user has physical and security Microsoft Access - Any Microsoft Access database to which the logged on user has physical and security access ORACLE - Any ORACLE database to which the logged on user has physical and security access |
Connection Security
SQL Server
| CUBE-it Zero support connection to SQL Server using either SQL Logon Authentication or Windows Inherrited Security
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Microsoft Access
| Connection to Microsoft Access databases can be either direct or using a UserID and Password via an Access MDW security database |
ORACLE
| Connection to ORACLE databases using an ORACLE authenticated UserID and Password
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Building the Data Source Query
CUBE-it Zero provides a Visual Query builder for designing data source queries. It supports both T-SQL and MS Access SQL according to which data source is selected. All join types are supported including Aliased joins. Field functions and other full query building capabilities are supported by the query builder.
Queries are designed in a very similar visual fashion to that employed by the SQL Server Management Studio View builder, or the Microsoft Access Query builder.
Defining the Cube
CUBE-it Zero supports single attribute dimensions with a single hierarchy definition, it also supports Analysis server's in built aggregation functions against measures. Individual columns in the output of the "Data Source Query" are treated as either single attribute dimensions or measures.