Data Academy Version 5.6 is the most significant release of the
product since the release of version 5.0.
In Overview, here's what it provides
- Two new modules
- Schema Inheritance
- User Interface Improvements
- New Edit mode
- Major TRANS-it Improvements
- Introduction of Licenceable & Lockable TRANS-it Trucks
New Modules - MAP-it
As the name suggests, the new MAP-it module allows the mapping of source to
target data. All of the transformational functionality of TRANSFORM-it is
included within the MAP-it module, but instead of creating a dataset, data
processed by a MAP-it transformation is posted to an existing target table.
New Modules - STAR-CUBE-it
The new STAR-CUBE-it module is the most significant module we've ever introduced.
It brings together the ability to develop SSAS Cubes alongside relational star
schemas. For example: At the same time as defining the structure of your
relational dimensions, you can define the structure the related OLAP dimension.
STAR-CUBE also sees the introduction of the revolutionary Schema inheritance
technology.
Schema Inheritance
So you've designed your schema and OLAP cube structure, and it contains pretty
well all of your business dimensions and measures. But your user requests a simpler
structure that they can understand with much less dimensions and less measures.
Traditionally, this would mean a copy and paste, and essentially
duplicating what's already there. Then when a new dimension is added, or an existing one changed
you had to remember where you'd done the copying and
manually ripple your changes.
Not so with schema inheritance. This is a technology that applies exactly the
same principals as "object" inheritance in programming, but brings it to data
warehousing.
Design your main business cube, use inheritance to create a new cube, and in the inherited
cube make your changes. A permanent link is maintained between the two such that
when you make a change to the master cube, the change is seen in the inherited
cube.
Cube inheritance saves significant development and maintenance time, and delivers more reliable and
consistent warehouse data structures.
This is just one example of what inheritance can deliver, there is much more. Enquire further with
us and we'll show you how.
Edit Mode
Edit mode is now available in most screens, and provides open METADATA editing for fast
entry of repetitive tasks.
TRANS-it Improvements
The user interface of TRANS-it has been overhauled, and provision has been added
to allow multiple module defitions to be included in a single truck file.
Licenceable and Lockable TRANS-it Trucks
Many of our clients are using Data Academy to develop off the shelf data warehouse
products. TRANS-it provides the ideal platform for packaging products
into single file implementations, and automated handling of change
management. However, historically the open nature of the TRANS-it
technology meant that development IP was not as well protected
as would ordinarily be preferred. Version 5.6 of Data Academy sees the introduction
of lockable and licencable truck files, protecting the investment
in IP of the development of Data Academy based products.
What was New in Version 5.5
As well as numerous enhancements to existing modules, Data Academy 5.5 introduced
two significant new capabilities: Data Academy Projects; and CHART-it LINE.
Data Academy Projects
With Data Academy Projects you can (subject to licensing) run Data Academy across
multiple SQL Server databases. This allows you to separate out data (and meta data)
belonging to different customers, and to (in effect) run multiple instances of Data
Academy on a single sever, whilst maintaining a convenient single list of users,
security settings etc.
CHART-it LITE
CHART-it LITE introduces basic charting, graphing and gauging capabilities to Data
Academy. The focus here is on simplicity and instant results, allowing you to validate
your data, and rapidly prototype your reporting output. But, keeping it simple
doesn't mean we've skimped on features! There are bar charts, line graphs, pie charts,
and gas / traffic light gauges. You can set up drill-throughs from one chart to
another; and there is even a portal-style "My Charts" page, which shows your selected
charts.
CUBE-it
Some of the functionality from CHART-it LITE has also been built into CUBE-it, allowing
you to browse a basic representation of your cubes within Data Academy.
Additionally, we've been listening to your feedback, and we've added more flexible
object naming, and the ability to create multiple dimension hierarchies.
TRANSFORM-it
Un-pivot datasets now support Regular Expression (regex) matching for source columns,
allowing you to un-pivot on multiple or unknown source columns.
Regular datasets have been tweaked to provide run-time performance improvements
of up to 10%.
By popular request, we've also added additional "debugging" options to TRANSFORM-it
and STAR-it, allowing you to run partial spaces - for example, to just run
a single dataset, or to run "up to" or "from" a particular dataset.
SQL Server 2008
Data Academy 5.5 now supports SQL Server 2008.