With the arrival of SQL server 2005. it become the no 1 solution for OLAP databases(for windows server system). It is often consider that one database model can be used for OLAP and OLTP database. OLAP stands for Online Analytical Processing, this kind of database are used for a analysis services and have its own special requirement. OLAP database tools (E.g. SQL server analyses services) enable users to analyze different dimensions of multidimensional data. For example, it provides time series and trend analysis views. OLAP often used in data mining operations. The data structure that OLAP create from the relational data is called OLAP cube. OLAP cubes can be thought of as multi dimensional array. A business might want to analyze its sales data by product, by product category, by sales manager, or something else. These different analyzing criterions are the OLAP cube dimensions. On other hand OLTP (Online Transaction Processing) databases, as the name implies, handle real time transactions which inherently have some special requirements.. OLTP databases must be atomic in nature (an entire transaction either succeeds or fails, there is no middle ground), be consistent (each transaction leaves the affected data in a consistent and correct state), be isolated (no transaction affects the states of other transactions), and be durable (changes resulting from committed transactions are persistent). All of this can be a fairly tall order but is essential to running a successful OLTP database.

Some of the major differences are

SQL Server support for OLAP database systems

SQL Server 2005 Analysis Services (SSAS) for SQL server provides unified and integrated view of all your business data as the foundation for all of traditional reporting, online analytical processing (OLAP) analysis, Key Performance Indicator (KPI) scorecards, and data mining.

Advanced features includes

• Translations, Translations provide a simple and centrally managed mechanism for storing and presenting analytic data to users in their preferred languages.
• MDX Scripts, Multidimensional Expressions (MDX) scripts are the new mechanism for defining calculated members, named sets, and cell calculations.

• Business Intelligence Wizards, A set of easy-to-use wizards can help even the most novice user model some of the more complex business intelligence problems.
• Semi additive Measures, This new measure aggregation type for advanced data modeling includes last-nonempty, last-child, first-child, average-of-children, and even by-account-type.

• Data Mining, Analysis Services provides tools for data mining with which you can identify rules and patterns in your data, so that you can determine why things happen and predict what will happen in the future-giving you powerful insight that will help your company make better business decisions.

New features includes

• Microsoft SQL Server 2005 – Interoperability with the 2007 Microsoft Office System
• Microsoft SQL Server Data Mining Add-Ins for Office 2007
• Microsoft SQL Server 2005 Analysis Services Performance Guide

Related Links :-

Microsoft Analyses Services