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Oracle® OLAP DML Reference
11g Release 1 (11.1)

Part Number B28126-01
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Introduction to Analytic Workspaces

Conceptually, an analytic workspace is that portion of Oracle Database that is used by Oracle OLAP to perform OLAP analysis. Physically, an analytic workspace is stored in the Database as LOBs in a table named AW$workspacename.

An analytic workspace also contains the following types of objects and the OLAP DML definitions for these objects:

Privileges Needed to Create and Delete Analytic Workspaces

Since an analytic workspace is physically stored as a table in an Oracle Database, you need SQL GRANT privileges to work with an analytic workspace. The privileges you need vary depending on whether the analytic workspace is in a schema that you own or in a schema that you do not own:

  • When you are the owner of the schema, you only need SQL GRANT privileges when you want to create an analytic workspace or attach an analytic workspace. These privileges you need to perform these tasks and the OLAP DML commands that relate to these tasks are outlined in the following table.

    Task OLAP DML Command SQL GRANT Privileges Needed
    Create an analytic workspace AW CREATE
    CREATE TABLE
    Attach an analytic workspace AS OF AW ATTACH with ASOF keyword FLASHBACK TABLE

  • When you are not the owner of the schema, you need SQL GRANT privileges to create an analytic workspace, to attach an analytic workspace in ASOF mode, to drop an analytic workspace, and to truncate an analytic workspace as shown in the following table.

    Task OLAP DML Command SQL GRANT Privileges Needed
    Create an analytic workspace AW CREATE
    CREATE ANY TABLE, SELECT ANY TABLE, UPDATE ANY TABLE
    Attach an analytic workspace AS OF AW ATTACH with ASOF keyword FLASHBACK ANY TABLE
    Delete an analytic workspace AW DELETE DROP ANY TABLE
    Truncate an analytic workspace AW TRUNCATE
    TRUNCATE ANY TABLE

Note that Oracle Database does not turn on roles when you are running a named PL/SQL procedure. In this case, the you must have the CREATE TABLE privilege directly.

Defining a New Analytic Workspace

You can use the OLAP DML to create analytic workspaces. To create a new analytic workspace, issue an AW command with the CREATE keyword, followed by an UPDATE statement and a COMMIT statement.

Working with Previously-Defined Analytic Workspaces

Before you can work with a previously-defined analytic workspace, you must first attach in by issuing an AW ATTACH statement. You can attach an analytic workspace in any of the following attachment modes:

  • Read-only—Users can make private changes to the data in the workspace to perform what-if analysis but cannot commit any of these changes.

  • Read/write access mode—Only one user can have an analytic workspace open in read/write at a time. The user has to commit either all or none of the changes made to the workspace.

  • Read/write exclusive access mode—The read/write exclusive attach mode is not compatible with any other access modes. A user cannot attach an analytic workspace in read/write exclusive mode when another user has it attached in any mode. Only one user can have an analytic workspace open in read/write exclusive at a time. The user has to commit either all or none of the changes made to the workspace.

  • Multiwriter access mode—an analytic workspace that is attached in multiwriter mode can be access simultaneously by several sessions. In multiwriter mode, users can simultaneously modify the same analytic workspace in a controlled manner by specifying specify the attachment mode (read-only or read/write) for individual variables, relations, valuesets, and dimensions.

For more information on the various attachment modes, see the syntax and notes for the AW ATTACH statement.

Viewing Information About an Analytic Workspace

Table 1-1, "Statements for Viewing Information About an Analytic Workspace" lists the OLAP DML statements that you can use to view information about an analytic workspace

Table 1-1 Statements for Viewing Information About an Analytic Workspace

Statement Description

AW function


Returns information about currently attached workspaces.

AWDESCRIBE program

Sends information about the current analytic workspace to the current outfile.

EXISTS function

Returns a value that indicates whether an object is defined in any attached workspace.

LISTBY program

Lists all objects in an analytic workspace that are dimensioned by or related to one or more specified dimensions or composites.

LISTNAMES program

Lists the names of the objects in an analytic workspace.

OBJ function

Returns information about an analytic workspace object.

OBJLIST function

Lists the objects that are in one or more workspaces that you specify.

DESCRIBE command

Lists the simple definition of one or more workspace objects.

FULLDSC program

Lists the complete definition of one or more workspace objects, including the properties and triggers of the object(s).