The Essbase multidimensional database stores and organizes data. It is optimized to handle applications that have large amounts of numeric data and are consolidation-intensive or computation-intensive. In addition, the database organizes data in a way that reflects how the user wants to view the data.
A dimension is a perspective or view of a specific dataset. A different view of the same data is an alternate dimension. A system that supports simultaneous, alternate views of datasets is multidimensional. Dimensions are typically categories such as time, accounts, product lines, markets, budgets, and so on. Each dimension contains additional categories that have various relationships one to another.
In contrast to the multidimensional view, worksheets stores data in two dimensions, usually time and accounts, as follows:
Figure 1. Two-Dimensional Representations of Data in a Worksheet
An Essbase application contains an unlimited number of dimensions, so you can analyze large amounts of data from multiple viewpoints.