OLAP is a software that performs multidimensional analysis with great speed on vast volumes of essential data from a data mart, data warehouse, or some other centralized and unified data store.
However, on the other hand, Azure is a platform for public cloud computing, which includes the solutions like Platform as a Service, Infrastructure as a Service, and Software as a Service that can be used for the tasks like virtual computing, analytics, networking, storage, etc. So, let us discuss what Azure OLAP is and why it is used by top businesses.
What is OLAP or online analytical processing?
OLAP is a specific technology that can organize large business databases and also helps in complex analysis procedures. This technology can be used to perform several analytical queries that are complex without negatively affecting the transactional systems.
The databases used by a business to store all the essential documents and transactions are known as online transaction processing or OLTP databases. These databases have records that can be entered at a time.
However, the databases that are used for OLTP were not developed for analysis. Hence, retrieving the required answers from those databases becomes a process that needs a reasonable amount of time and effort.
The OLAP systems were created to help extract information regarding business intelligence from the data in a highly performable way. This is possible because the OLAP databases are usually designed and optimized for low write and heavy read workloads.
What is Azure OLAP or OLAP in Azure?
In Azure, the vital data is held in OLTP. The flow of data to OLAP from OLTP is usually orchestrated with the help of SQL Server Integration Services. This can be executed quickly with the support of Azure Data Factory.
In Azure, the data stores that will meet the core needs for OLAP are:
- Azure Analysis Services.
- SQL server and Column Store Indexes
- SSAS or SQL Server Analysis Services.
Why is Azure OLAP used by the top business?
The top businesses prefer using Azure OLAP for various reasons; some of those are:
- OLAP offers multi-user support
As the techniques of OLAP can be shared, the operation of OLAP provides the normal functions of databases containing update, retrieval, integrity, security, and adequacy control.
- Azure OLAP offers a multidimensional conceptual view
OLAP systems allow businesses to have a logical and dimensional idea of the data in the data store. It also helps in carrying the operations like slice and dice.
- Azure OLAP offers better accessibility
OLAP can work as a mediator between front-end and data warehouses.
- Offers documenting performance that is uniform
Increasing the size of the database or the number of dimensions cannot degrade the OLAP system’s reporting performance.
- It helps in performing intricate calculations
OLAP offers the ability to successfully perform intricate comparisons and calculations.
- It helps in computing the correct aggregate value
OLAP helps in computing the correct aggregate values by ignoring all those values that are missing.
- Presents meaningful results
OLAP helps in presenting results in a few significant ways, like graphs and charts.
- Helps in decision making
OLAP helps the managers in making correct decisions by offering multi-dimensional record views; hence, increasing their productivity.
Now you know the different features and benefits of Azure OLAP for which the top businesses are using Azure OLAP.
