When you implement a multidimensional database, you design and create an application and database. You analyze data sources and define requirements carefully and decide whether a single-server approach or a partitioned, distributed approach better serves your needs. For criteria that you can review to decide whether to partition an application, see Decision Factors for Partitioning a Database.

This case study provides an overview of the database planning process and discusses working rules that you can follow to design a single-cube, multidimensional database solution for your organization. See About Applications and Databases.

The process of designing a database includes the following basic steps:

1. Analyze business needs and design a plan.

   The application and database that you create must satisfy the information needs of your users and your organization. Therefore, you identify source data, define user information access needs, review security considerations, and design a database model. See Analyze and Plan the Essbase Application.

2. Draft a database outline.

   The outline determines the structure of the database—what information is stored and how different pieces of information interrelate. See Draft an Essbase Outline.

3. Load test data into the database.

   After an outline and a security plan are in place, you load the database with test data to enable the later steps of the process. See Load Test Data.

4. Define calculations.

   You test outline consolidations, write and test formulas, and define calculation scripts for specialized calculations. See Define Essbase Calculations.

5. Verify with users.

   To ensure that the database satisfies your user goals, solicit and carefully consider their feedback. See Verify the Design.

6. Repeat the process.

   To fine-tune the design, repeat steps 1 through 5.