维度创建 - 多种用途

Question

We received some generic training related to TM1 and dimension creation and we were informed we'd need separate dimensions for the same values.

Let me describe, we transport goods and we'd have an origin and destination province and in typical database design I'd expect we'd have one "province" reference table, but we were informed we'd need an "origin" dimension and a "destination" dimension. This seems to be cumbersome and seems like we'd encounter the same issue with customers, services, etc.

Can someone clarify how this could work for us?

Again, I'd expect to see a "lookup" table in the database which contains all possible provinces (assumption is values in both columns would be the same), then you'd have an ID value in any column that used the "province" and join to the "lookup" table based on ID.

Answer 1

in typical database design I'd expect we'd have one "province" reference table, but we were informed we'd need an "origin" dimension and a "destination" dimension

Following the regular DB design it makes sense to keep two data entities separate: one defines source, other defines target. I think on this we'd both agree. If you could give more details it would be better.

Imagine a drop down list: two lists populated by one single "source", but represent two different values in DB.

assumption is values in both columns would be the same

if the destination=origin, you don't need two dimensions then? :) This point needs clarification.

Besides your solution (combination of all source and destination in a table with an unique ID, which could be a way of solving this), it seems it's resolvable by cube or dimension structure changes.

If at some dimension you'd use eg ProvinceOrigin and ProvinceDestination as string type elements, and populate them from one single dimension (dynamic attribute) then whenever you save the cube you'll have these two fields populated from one single dimension.

Obviously the best solution for you depends on your system architecture.