Books

MDX Solutions with Microsoft SQL Server 2005 Analysis Services and Hyperion Essbase, 2nd Ed.
George Spofford
A practical guide to understanding and leveraging the MDX language used by Microsoft Analysis Services and Oracle Hyperion Essbase. Includes introduction to all features, many examples from simple to complex, and detailed illustrated reference to all functions supported by Microsoft SQL Server Analysis Services 2005 and Essbase 9.

OLAP Solutions: Building Multidimensional Information Systems, 2nd Ed.
Erik Thomsen
A deep and thorough guide to understanding OLAP. OLAP enables users to access information from multidimensional data warehouses almost instantly, to view information in any way they like, and to cleanly specify and carry out sophisticated calculations. Although many commercial OLAP tools and products are now available, OLAP is still a difficult and complex technology to master.

• Substantially updated with expanded coverage of implementation methods for data storage, access, and calculation; also, new chapters added to combine OLAP with data warehouse, mining, and decision support tools
• Teaches the best practices for building OLAP models that improve business and organizational decision-making, completely independent of commercial tools, using revised case studies
• Companion Web site provides updates on OLAP standards and tools, code examples, and links to valuable resources

Microsoft OLAP Solutions
Erik Thomsen, George Spofford, Richard Chase
A guide to mastering Microsoft OLAP server. Beginning with practical concepts and architecture, progressing by logical, skill-building steps through a range of crucial topics in maintenance, database optimization, and advanced database design.

Articles

OLAP for the Masses - by George Spofford
We all know the hype about Plato's impact on the OLAP industry. But what will it bring to your decision-support environment? This exclusive look at the Plato architecture provides the answers. (Published in Intelligent Enterprise Magazine, October 1998)

Attack of the Killer APIs - by George Spofford
In this article, the OLAP Council's MD-API and Microsoft's OLE DB for OLAP are compared from a technical perspective. Much of their functionality and metadata handling abilities are similar, but they have quite different approaches to APIs for OLAP activity. (Published in Database Programming & Design, March 1998)