Data areas
When you create a server list on a dimension or hierarchy, you can define a data area. There are three data areas: common, filter, and sorting. If you define the common data area, and you then define a value filter or sort, the definition is inherited by the data area of the filters and sorts. If required, you can then edit the filter and sorting data areas, independently of each other and of the common data area.
If you do not define a data area, then the default elements of the hierarchies within the cube are referenced. If you are editing a local server list that is used in a report, and then click , the current report is scanned for report objects that can be used for each hierarchy. Thus, the data area references the elements that are currently selected in the report.
For example, this table shows the default data area of a server list created on the Point of Sales dimension of the Analysis cube of the Sample application.
| Hierarchy | Element |
|---|---|
| Channel | All Channels |
| Measure | Gross Margin |
| Product | All Tires |
| Period | 2016 |
| Region | All Regions |
| Value Type | Actual |
To report on values for a particular region, or a different period, you select different elements from the hierarchies, or from tuples or sets. By doing so, you redefine the data area.
You can copy and paste one data area to another.
Common data areas are used when displaying dynamic attributes, and captions based on dynamic attributes. The values of the captions change according to the elements selected in the dimensions of a cube.