HP Storage Essentials Storage Resource Management Report Optimizer Software 6.0 Building Reports Using the Web Intelligence Java Report Panel (August 2008)

Building Reports Using the Web Intelligence Java Report Panel 73

Merging dimensions from multiple data providersMerging dimensions from multiple data

providers

Overview

This chapter describes how to synchronize multiple data providers in a Web Intelligence

report by merging them on common dimensions. After merging common dimensions you

can place dimensions from different data providers in the same block.

Merged dimensions and data synchronization are new in Web Intelligence XI R2. They

enormously increase the power and flexibility of Web Intelligence by allowing you to

synthesise data from different sources in the same report, rather than simply including the

data.

For example, if you have one database that contains detailed customer information and

another database that contains sales data, you can synchronize the two data sources

around the customer.

This chapter includes information on the following topics:

• merging dimensions

• working with merged dimensions in reports

• understanding the effects of merged dimensions

Merging dimensions

”Including multiple data providers” on page 63 on page 63 describes how you can

include multiple data providers in a Web Intelligence document. You often need to

synchronize the data returned by these data providers. You do this by incorporating

common dimensions into a merged dimension.

In what situations do you merge dimensions?

You merge dimensions when your report draws related data from different data providers.

For example, you have a report showing revenue and sales targets. The report contains

sections based on the year, and each section shows revenue and sales targets. If revenue

and sales target data comes from two different data providers, Web Intelligence does not

know that it is related. You tell Web Intelligence that the data is related by merging the two

data providers on the common dimension, year.

When you merge dimensions, Web Intelligence creates a new dimension that contains all

the values from the original dimensions that make up the merged dimension. You use this

dimension in reports as you use any other report object. You can add report objects from