cubes

A multidimensional database is stored in cubes. As in a spreadsheet, data is held in cells and can be retrieved by formulas. Unlike spreadsheets, cubes are multidimensional – they are collections of dimensions. For example, a three-dimensional cube might contain Region, Account and Month as its dimensions. To this could be added Products, for example, as a fourth dimension. Each cell in a cube is unique and can be referenced with formula called a cube reference. For example: =[Europe ,Units, January, Product1]