Understanding the Active Catalog

OLAP processing depends on a data model composed of cubes, measures, dimensions, hierarchies, levels, and attributes. OLAP Catalog metadata defines this logical model for relational sources. Standard form metadata defines the logical model within analytic workspaces.

The DBMS_AWM procedures and the OLAP Analytic Workspace Java API create and maintain standard form metadata when creating and refreshing dimensions and cubes in analytic workspaces.

Whereas OLAP Catalog metadata must be explicitly created by a DBA, standard form metadata is actively generated as part of workspace management. Views of this metadata are commonly referred to as the Active Catalog, because they are populated with information that is automatically generated within analytic workspaces.

Active Catalog views use the OLAP_TABLE function to return information about logical objects in analytic workspaces. See Chapter 34 for more information on OLAP_TABLE.

Standard Form Classes

Each standard form workspace object belongs to one of four classes:

Implementation class. Objects in this class implement the logical model.
Catalogs class. Objects in this class hold information about the logical model.
Features class. Objects in this class hold information about specific objects in the logical model.
Extensions class. Objects in this class are proprietary.

Active Catalog and Standard Form Classes

The primary source of information for the Active Catalog views is objects in the Catalogs class. This includes a list of all the cubes, measures, dimensions, levels, and attributes in analytic workspaces.

Active Catalog views also provide information that associates logical objects from the Catalogs class with their source objects in the OLAP Catalog and with their containers in the Implementation class.

Finally, two Active Catalog views provide all the standard form objects and all the properties of those objects.

Note:

Active Catalog views provide information about standard form objects in all analytic workspaces accessible to the current user.