ActiveX Data Objects MultiDimensional.NET (ADO MD.NET) –
ADO MD.NET (ActiveX Data Objects Multidimensional for .NET) is a .NET managed data provider used to access multidimensional data sources, especially Microsoft SQL Server Analysis Services (SSAS). It is built on top of ADO.NET and provides a structured way to query and explore OLAP (Online Analytical Processing) data.
Key Features
- Provides access to OLAP cubes in SQL Server Analysis Services.
- Supports MDX (Multidimensional Expressions) queries.
- Offers a strongly-typed object model for navigating dimensions, hierarchies, and measures.
- Integrates with ADO.NET using familiar concepts like
Connection,Command, andDataReader.
Core Classes
AdomdConnection: Manages the connection to an SSAS database.AdomdCommand: Executes MDX queries.AdomdDataReader: Reads the result set from an MDX query.CubeDef,Dimension,Measure: Represent the metadata of the cube.
When to Use ADO MD.NET
- When building business intelligence or reporting applications in .NET.
- To query and analyze SSAS cube data using MDX.
- When access to OLAP metadata (dimensions, hierarchies, etc.) is needed.
Related Technologies
- ADOMD (COM): The older COM-based version of the API.
- XMLA (XML for Analysis): A protocol for accessing SSAS over web services.
- TMSL (Tabular Model Scripting Language): Used to manage tabular models in newer versions of SSAS..