Microsoft Analysis Sevices 2005 modeling

After having my data in the new database, it was time to create a cube. I am used to do this in analysis services 2000 and have now the ability to learn new things...

An unclear error occured, when i tried to build the cube. I started building a dataconnection, draw a dataview with my facttable and dimensions, set up the "shared" dimensions and tried to build the cube.

Building the cube failed, because the modeler was not able to find connections between my tables. But i draw the connections between the tables. Even setting the connections up by hand failed. What was wrong?

The problem was (of course) in front of the screen. When i draw the datamodel, i refused to let the integrated development environment (ide) to set up logical keys to the database. I was asked by the ide and had the opportunity not to set up the keys. This lead to the problem not be be able to set up a cube.

Lesson learned: set up logical keys in the model, even if you have the choice not to do so...

Integration Services Microsoft and Flat files

I had a strange experience yesterday: I tried to get a flatfile into a database. I used dts on sql server 2000 before and i am forced to use the new platform 2005 now. So, learning new things can be a challenge and is basically good.

But one annoying thing to learn was, that a flatfile on integration services determines now the width of the columns, even in a delimited file. If columns exceed the presetted widths, errors occor. This would be no problem, if the message would have brought me near to the problem...