Essbase provides an aggregate storage kernel as a persistence mechanism for multidimensional databases.
Aggregate storage database are optimized for sparse data set that primarily require simple aggregation. Any non-aggregation calculations are performed dynamically when requested in reports.
Incremental loading and fast aggregation can provide near real-time analysis of transactional data.
Aggregate storage databases enable dramatic improvements in both :
The aggregate storage kernel is an alternative to the block storage kernel. Aggregate storage databases typically address read-only, “rack and stack” applications that have large dimensionality, such as the following Bi Application :
Aggregate storage and block storage differ in concept and design. Some block storage outline features do not apply to aggregate storage. For example, the concept of dense and sparse dimensions does not apply.
The differences are visible in this domain :
| Business Application | Properties | Storage |
|---|---|---|
| Customer Analysis | Many dimensions, million of customer | Aggregate |
| Sales Forecasting | Top-down planning and allocations | Block |
| Procurement Analysis | Many products across many customers | Aggregate |
| Profitability Analysis | Cost Allocations across products and customers | Block |
| Logistics Analysis | Near real-time information on product shipments | Aggregate |
| Financial consolidations | Currency conversion, inter-company eliminations | Block |
See Comparison of Aggregate and Block Storage