In this article, we will explore distinct counts, discussing why they are useful (and often required) within the design of any robust analysis effort.  Throughout this session, we will describe some of the challenges that are inherent in distinct counts, and then we will undertake practice exercises to illustrate solutions to meet example business requirements.  As a part of the practical exercises, built around a hypothetical business need, we’ll provide an approach afforded us by the MSAS user interface, and then we’ll offer an alternative approach using MDX.

We will revisit DISTINCT COUNT at various points in subsequent articles in our series, examining specifics with regard to appropriate use, and details of optimization within the perspective under examination in the article concerned.  In this article, we will lay the framework for those specific scenarios, and discuss the basics of DISTINCT COUNT, together with considerations that surround its use.

To accomplish our objectives, we will undertake the following steps in this article:

• Introduce the concept of distinct counts, discussing why they are often a requirement in our multidimensional analysis efforts;
• Examine the objects and syntax involved in approaching the satisfaction of DISTINCT COUNT scenarios;
• Highlight some the challenges inherent in working with DISTINCT COUNT;
• Set the stage for practices exercises by presenting hypothetical business requirements;
• Obtain exposure to options provided by the Analysis Services interface to help us meet basic DISTINCT COUNT requirements;
• Explore the MDX syntax involved in providing DISTINCT COUNT capabilities in alternative solutions.

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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.
DISTINCT, COUNT, DistinctCount(), Calculated, Member, Property, Query, processing, Optimize, Performance, Virtual, Cube, Editor, MDX, design, MSAS, MSSQL, Server, Analysis, Services
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