XML for Analysis: Difference between revisions

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'''XML for Analysis''' (abbreviated as '''XMLA''') is an industry standard for data access in analytical systems, such as [[OLAPonline analytical processing]] (OLAP) and [[data mining]]. XMLA is based on other industry standards such as [[XML]], [[SOAP]] and [[HTTP]]. XMLA is maintained by '''XMLA Council''' with [[Microsoft]], [[Oracle Hyperion Solutions Corporation|Hyperion]] and [[SAS Institute|SAS]] being the official XMLA Council founder members.<ref>{{cite web|title=What is XMLA?|url=http://www.xmlforanalysis.com/index.htm}}</ref>

==History==

The XMLA specification was first proposed by [[Microsoft]] as a successor for [[OLE DB for OLAP]] in April 2000. By January 2001 it was joined by [[Hyperion Solutions Corporation|Hyperion]] endorsing XMLA. The 1.0 version of the standard was released in April 2001, and in September 2001 the XMLA Council was formed. In April 2002 [[SAS Institute|SAS]] joined Microsoft and Hyperion as founding member of XMLA Council.<ref>{{cite web|title=XML for Analysis gathers steam |url=http://www.olapreport.com/Comment_APIs.htm |url-status=usurped |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20080528220113/http://www.olapreport.com/Comment_APIs.htm |archivedate=May 28, 2008 }}</ref> With time, more than 25 companies joined with their support for the standard.

==API==

XMLA consists of only two [[SOAP]] methods: execute and discover.<ref>{{cite web|title=XML for Analysis Specification|date=30 June 2006 |url=http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/ms977626.aspx}}</ref> It was designed in such a way to preserve simplicity.

* Execute

* Discover

===Execute===

Execute method has two parameters:

* Command - command to be executed. It can be [[Multidimensional Expressions|MDX]], [[Data Mining Extensions|DMX]] or [[SQL]].

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==Query language==

XMLA specifies '''MDXML''' as the query language. In the XMLA 1.1 version, the only construct in MDXML is an [[Multidimensional Expressions|MDX]] statement enclosed in the <Statement> tag.<ref>{{cite web|title=MDX / mdXML |url=http://www.xmlforanalysis.com/mdx.htm |url-status=usurped |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20080907093211/http://www.xmlforanalysis.com/mdx.htm |archivedate=September 7, 2008 }}</ref>

==Example==

Below is an example of XMLA Execute request with MDX query in command.

<syntaxhighlight lang="xml">

<pre>

<soap:Envelope>

<soap:Body>

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</soap:Body>

</soap:Envelope>

</syntaxhighlight>

</pre>

==Session management==

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* EndSession - to end existing session

* UseSession - to use existing session. SessionId attribute previously returned for BeginSession should be used.

==Products==

Products which support XMLA fall into two categories:

* XMLA Providers - these products provide XMLA service. Typically these are server or middle tier products

* XMLA Consumers - these products can connect to XMLA Providers and consume XMLA. Typically these are client/UI products

* XMLA Libraries - libraries implementing XMLA protocol (client side), allowing to develop XMLA Consumers without taking care of XMLA protocol details.

===XMLA Providers===

* [http://quartetfs.com/en/products/activepivot ActivePivot]

* [[Essbase|Hyperion Essbase]]

* [[IBM InfoSphere|IBM Infosphere Warehouse Cubing Services]] <ref>{{cite web|title=Infosphere Warehouse Cubing Services XMLA|url=http://publib.boulder.ibm.com/infocenter/db2luw/v9r5/index.jsp?topic=/com.ibm.dwe.cubeserv.doc/topics/c_xmla_provider.html}}</ref>

* [http://www.iccube.com icCube OLAP Server]

* [[Infor]] PM OLAP Server - formerly known as MIS Alea

* [[InterSystems]] DeepSee

* [[Microsoft Analysis Services]]

* [[Mondrian OLAP server]]

* [[Palo (OLAP database)]]

* [[Simba Technologies]] [http://www.simba.com/olap-sdk.htm SimbaProvider XMLA SDK]

* [[SAP NetWeaver Business Intelligence]] [http://help.sap.com/saphelp_nw04/helpdata/en/a7/18533d6dd60610e10000000a114084/content.htm SAP BW MDX Syntax]

===XMLA Libraries ===

* [http://www.iccube.com/products/iccube-client-library icCube - Java XMLA Client Library (LGPL license)]

* [http://olap4j.org olap4j - Java OLAP API with a XML/A client implementation]<ref>{{cite web|title=OLAP4J - Online Analytical Processing for Java|url=http://drdobbs.com/database/230800051}}</ref>

* [http://code.google.com/p/xmla4js/ xmla4js - Javascript client implementation for XML/A]

==References==

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==External links==

* [https://web.archive.org/web/20060101094229/http://www.mosha.com/msolap/tech.htm#XMLA XMLA resources and links]

* [http://knol.google.com/k/igor-krupitsky/xmla-consumers/3aex3k6xefaih/2 XMLA Consumers]

* [http://www.mosha.com/msolap/tech.htm#XMLA XMLA resources and links]

{{Data warehouse}}