General Product Features

 

 CubeStore (not available with the standard Microsoft SQL Server toolset)

- Is a secure Cloud-based distribution platform that supports reuse of projects. The CubeStore enables you to reuse your projects as project templates that can be downloaded directly into timeXtender. Once a solution has been downloaded, it can be up and running within hours, and can be customized and extended. Read more about the CubeStore

Watch the video about downloading a template from the CubeStore delivery platform

 

 Documentation (not available with the standard Microsoft SQL Server toolset)

- Fully automated generation of Documentation, including full version control to ensure that the generated documentation corresponds to the deployed version of the project. Comments can be added to all elements in the project. The template can be modified and the documentation comes as a hyperlinked PDF document. The documentation is valid for IT Audit under SOX.

 

 Multi-environment (not available with the standard Microsoft SQL Server toolset)

- You can deploy solutions across multiple environments such as development, test and production and there's a complete trace of the different versions deployed on each environment.

 

 Trace (not available with the standard Microsoft SQL Server toolset)

- Complete trace of a single entity, both back and forwards, and it works all the way from data source to cube.

 

 Version Control (not available with the standard Microsoft SQL Server toolset)

- Complete version control for every save of a project and every deployment. Each version can be opened individually, and you have the option of rolling back to a prior version.

 

 Graphical design environment - saves 50%-80% of development time

 

(SQL Server features that are optimized expanded in timeXtender  for better performance and ease of use)

- Limits manual coding effort.

- Supports the dimensional modeling approach to data warehousing

 

 

ETL and Data Warehouse Specific Features

 

 Built-in rule-based data quality engine (not available with the standard Microsoft SQL Server toolset)

- Enforcement of implicit and explicit primary- and foreign key constraints.

- Enforcment of threshold values.

- Row or value based checkpoints and notifications.

 

 Reverse Engineering (not available with the standard Microsoft SQL Server toolset)

- You can reverse an existing data warehouse database based on Microsoft SQL Server 2000 or newer.

 

 ERP adapters (not available with the standard Microsoft SQL Server toolset)

- timeXtender provides intelligent connections to Microsoft Dynamics NAV, Microsoft Dynamics AX and SAP R/3. You gain access to application specific information, and you are able to connect to even heavily modified ERP systems. The Microsoft Dynamics NAV adapter supports versions 3.60 to 2009 on both NAV Native and Microsoft SQL Server databases. The Microsoft AX adapter supports versions 3,4, and 2009.

Watch the video about using Dynamics AX as data source

 

 Target based incremental loading (not available with the standard Microsoft SQL Server toolset)

- Support for configurable handling of insert, update, and delete. Configuration takes place on a per table basis. You achieve a signigicant performance boost for data sources w/o native support for incremental load.

 

 Automated performance optimization

 

(SQL Server feature that is optimized and expanded in timeXtender  for better performance and ease of use)

- Hash-bytes

- Compressions: supports row-and table based compression on both staging and data warehouse. Implemented automatically based on table classification. Can be manually configured in advance mode.

 

 Consolidation tables
(SQL Server features that are optimized expanded in timeXtender  for better performance and ease of use)

- Visual builder for GL acccounts dimension (balance sheet, income statement).

- Include custom rollup formulas (dimension calculations).

- Generic usage for mapping any structure into reporting format.

 

 Distributed data sources

 

(SQL Server features that are optimized expanded in timeXtender  for better performance and ease of use)

- One selection across identical data sources.

- Maintain multiple identical data sources in one process.

- Add new data sources on the fly.

 

 Incremental loading

 

(SQL Server features that are optimized expanded in timeXtender  for better performance and ease of use)

- Support for numeric and/or datetime based values for inserts and updates.

- Support for dirty reads (to avoid gaps in data caused by lon-running transactions).

- Implemented on a per table bases within minutes.

 

 Indexes

 

(SQL Server features that are optimized expanded in timeXtender  for better performance and ease of use)

- Automatic index creation.

 

 Look-ups

 

(SQL Server features that are optimized expanded in timeXtender  for better performance and ease of use)

- Graphical implementations of lookups.

- Automated relations generation.

 

 Move projects as XML between installations

 

(SQL Server features that are optimized expanded in timeXtender  for better performance and ease of use)

- Move or copy an entire solution between installations, customers, or environments.

- Works across different SQL Server versions and editions.

 

 Multithreading

 

(SQL Server features that are optimized expanded in timeXtender  for better performance and ease of use)

 

 Partitions

 

(SQL Server features that are optimized expanded in timeXtender  for better performance and ease of use)

- Multiple table partitions on statging data base and data warehouse.

- Partition templates ensure easy reuse of commoinn partition settings.

- Table partitions automatically aligned with cube partitions.

 

 Time dimensions
 (SQL Server feature that is optimized and expanded in timeXtender  for better performance and ease of use)

- Ranged based with fixed or dynamic start and end dates.

- Can be combined with custom calendars.

 

 Type-2 dimensions

 

 (SQL Server feature that is optimized and expanded in timeXtender  for better performance and ease of use)

- Simple and fast implementation.

- Schema change engine handles structure changes over time.

- Watch the video about building slowly changing dimensions (SCD)

 

 

OLAP Cube Specific Features

 

 Advanced XMLA scripting (not available with the standard Microsoft SQL Server toolset)

- Enhances the standard XMLA scripting language, and supports XPATH queries for XML manipulation.

 

 Business Functions - reuse of MDX based on parameters (not available with the standard Microsoft SQL Server toolset)

- Wrap commonly used calculations for easy reuse. Use them across installations and projects through import/export. Parametrize calculations for easy maintenance. Hide complexity from business users.

 

 Merge deployment on OLAP (not available with the standard Microsoft SQL Server toolset)

- You can deploy multiple projects to the same SSAS database. timeXtender bypasses a limitation in the standard SQL Server tools.

 

 MDX code automation (not available with the standard Microsoft SQL Server toolset)

- Comes with MDX and VB function library with syntaxt template. Support for Intellisense. You achieve instant results for efficient prototyping.

   

 Reverse Engineering (not available with the standard Microsoft SQL Server toolset)

- You can reverse an existing OLAP database based on Microsoft SQL Server 2000 or newer.

 

 Time dimensions
 (SQL Server feature that is optimized and expanded in timeXtender  for better performance and ease of use)

- Ranged based with fixed or dynamic start and end dates.

- Can be combined with custom calendars.