- About the Series
- Introduction to Performance Tuning
- Understanding How Queries Are Processed
- Types of Intervention
- Large Level Threshold Property
- Location of Query Processing
- Optimization of Set Operations
- Importance of Optimal Arrangement
- Expression Arrangement
- Caching and Optimization
- Other Performance Enhancement Options
- A Parting Word
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Other Performance Enhancement Options
External functions can often offer processing optimizations over their calculated equivalents, particularly when the calculated members are complex. External functions can be used in a query via the presence of the associated calls to those functions, provided that the associated function library is installed in the appropriate place(s) on the client or server. Queries making use of these functions can be resolved on either the client or the server if the function resides on either tier, and as long as the external query is not used in making the determination of the axes within the query, then the query can be largely resolved on the server—even when the function does not reside on the server. Keep in mind, however, that the presence of the function solely on the client means forced client-based processing, regardless of other factors.
Finally, cube design modification and/or augmentation can provide significant efficiency in cube processing, even though this might often rest outside the control of the query designer. Improvements such as placing member properties into measures (especially numerical data) allow for free and efficient use of these fields at multiple levels. And the additional processing that can be encountered by making this measure available as a calculated member can be mitigated significantly by placing the measure in a "custom" cube (one-dimensional cubes work fine if adequate to meet the need), which can then be combined with other cubes—cubes that need the new measure—in virtual cubes. This concept can be extended into many other areas, and provides an excellent way to leverage the existing cube structure by "adding on" needed components.