Dynamic attributes

Dynamic attributes are a way to store dimension element attributes that can vary with the context of a cell that is displayed. The value of an attribute depends on the elements of other dimensions in the cube.

For example, imagine a product dimension. A product might have different product managers or different market entry dates, depending on different drivers such as time and region. This situation can be handled by the use of dynamic attributes.

Dynamic attributes are stored in dynamic attribute cubes. Dynamic attribute cubes have these dimensions.

The dimension for which dynamic attributes are to be maintained
One or more driver dimensions
It is the context of a driver dimension that changes attribute values. The same dimensions are also used in fact cubes.
The values in the dynamic attribute cube that are resolved as the dynamic attribute values.
The attribute dimension. Its elements are the dynamic attributes of a dimension.

These characteristics, rules, and recommendations apply to attribute dimensions and their elements:

The attribute dimension must be the last dimension in the attribute cube. We recommend that you designate the attribute dimension as the measure dimension of the cube.
Dynamic attribute elements can be string or numeric elements.
The attribute dimension must have a string attribute called Format_Type.
Optionally, you can add applicability attributes (logical) to control which driver dimension sets the context for which attribute.

The dynamic attribute cube and the attribute dimension can have any name, but we recommend this naming convention:

ATC_[dimension_name] for dynamic attribute cubes
ATD_[dimension_name] for attribute dimension

Dynamic attributes are configured in the advanced properties of a fact cube and the dynamic attribute cube.

This table describes the basic terminology for dynamic attributes:


Term	Description
Dimension attributes	Attributes defined in an OLAP dimension. They can be filled for all elements of a dimension. Dimension attributes can be read by querying the attribute of an element.
Dynamic attributes	Attributes, the values of which vary according to context. Dynamic attributes can be read only by querying the attribute of an element within the context of the driver dimensions.
Dimension with dynamic attributes	Dynamic attributes are defined for this dimension. Note: A dimension can have dimension attributes and dynamic attributes.
Driver dimensions	Elements in these dimensions drive the context in which a dynamic attribute is resolved.
Fact cube	The cube that holds fact data. Dynamic attributes are resolved for the context that is queried. That is, if you query the fact cube for a certain period and region, then dynamic attributes are presented only for that period and region.
Dynamic attribute cubes	A dynamic attribute cube stores the dynamic attribute dimensions and their driver dimensions.
Attribute dimension	Each element of an attribute dimension represents an attribute.

Application Studio can use the ROAC function or slices to consume dynamic attributes. Writing back to dynamic attributes is done by writing values to the dynamic attribute cubes.