Using Dimension Calculation Groups
Dimension calculation groups offer data architects a simplifying alternative to calculated metrics by enabling the expression of boiler-plate calculations across multiple metrics. This feature defines calculations as dimension members, and removes static references to individual metrics. At run-time, workbook authors evaluate the dimension calculations over an arbitrary set of metrics.
Using this feature, the number of calculated metrics in a model can be reduced by a factor equal to the number of metrics in the model. For example, using calculated metrics to perform three boiler plate calculations, such as Year-Over-Year-Growth, Year-To-Date-Growth, 30-Day-Moving-Average, across ten metrics requires the creation of 30 calculated metrics. Alternatively, the same use-case may be addressed by defining only three calculations in a time dimension calculation group. The end-user specifies the set of metrics at query execution time. The number of calculated metrics that must be maintained is reduced from 30 to three, a ten-fold reduction in complexity.
Working with calculation groups
Before you start creating calculation groups, you should familiarize yourself with the basic concepts described in Introduction to Calculations.
For information on creating calculation groups, see Add Calculation Groups and Calculated Members.
For information on working with calculation groups in BI tools, see the following: