In this article we will not only work within Analysis Services through the now-familiar interface and associated dialogs, but we will graft in, as an alternative approach, the creation of basic MDX expressions and queries for use with multidimensional data sources. Our focus will be establishing the drillthrough capability within our cube models, from two distinct perspectives, while examining the valuable uses of the drillthrough functionality from an information consumer perspective.
We will explore executing drillthrough statements on multidimensional cubes. First, we will discuss scenarios where drillthrough from summary cube data to the underlying details might be valuable to information consumers. Next, we will examine strengths and weaknesses of the capability in MSSQL 2000 Analysis Services. We will discuss the steps that need to be taken to implement drillthrough, then set up a sample drillthrough in the Cube Editor, so as to focus on concepts in an introductory fashion.

We will then practice the creation and use of an MDX query that uses the DRILLTHROUGH statement to retrieve the source data for a cube cell. We will explore the syntax for the DRILLTHROUGH statement, and discuss options and parameters that surround this functionality, as a part of our hands-on exercises.

In this article, we will:

• Enable a cube for Drillthrough in the Cube Editor;
• Perform a Drillthrough within Analysis Services;
• Discuss filtering and other aspects of Drillthrough in general;
• Discuss Drillthrough using an MDX Query;
• Perform a Drillthrough using MDX.

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About the Series:

This article is a member of the series Introduction to MSSQL Server 2000 Analysis Services. The series is designed to provide hands-on application of the fundamentals of MS SQL Server 2000 Analysis Services, with each installment progressively adding features and techniques designed to meet specific real - world needs. For more information on the series, as well as the hardware / software requirements to prepare for the exercises we will undertake, please see my initial article, Creating Our First Cube.
Analysis Services, Drillthrough, Analysis Manager, Calculated Members, DTS, MDX, Filtering, Cube Editor, Implementation, All Contents Copyright Island Technologies Inc. ^®  Island Technologies^® and Island Technologies Inc.^®  are registered trademarks of Island Technologies Inc., protected in the United States and other countries.  For information, contact Island.