Overview of PivotTable Service

PivotTable® Service is an OLE DB provider for multidimensional data and data mining operations. This means that it provides OLE DB functionality for applications that need access to multidimensional data and data mining services. By providing support for a subset of SQL and Multidimensional Expressions (MDX), PivotTable Service enables applications to retrieve tabular and multidimensional data. The data can be displayed, included in a local cube, analyzed using sophisticated data mining algorithms, or updated.

The execution speed of these complex operations makes it possible to perform sophisticated analyses on the client computer itself. This, in turn, allows remote client applications to function independent of a high-speed network, intranet connection, or physical presence at a geographical location. For example, a sales representative can forecast profit margins at a potential customer's site based on proposals by that customer even if her computer is not connected to her own company's network. She can also repopulate her local cube with new data whenever she needs to do so, by using the Internet to connect to her corporate Analysis server and refreshing her local data with any new or updated data.

PivotTable Service also supports data definition language (DDL) in the connection string of the client application so that offline clients can create and modify local cubes at run time and define temporary multidimensional objects for use in analysis. This ability allows client applications to be extensible in the face of changing business practices and across business boundaries. The data for local cubes can be derived from either a multidimensional data source or a relational one such as Microsoft® SQL Server™, Microsoft Access, or Oracle.

For more information about using PivotTable Service in various development environments, see Development Environments.

You can develop client applications that use PivotTable Service using a variety of techniques and environments. You can use Microsoft ActiveX® Data Objects (Multidimensional) (ADO MD) to implement client applications in any Component Object Model (COM) Automation language, such as Microsoft Visual Basic®, or as Active Server Pages (ASP) on a Web site. C++ programmers can use PivotTable Service with COM and OLE DB to implement highly specialized custom applications.