Ending the ROLAP/MOLAP debate: usage based aggregation and flexible HOLAP

Summary form only given, as follows. Over the past few years, OLAP vendors have engaged in a debate regarding relational versus multidimensional data stores. This debate has obscured the more significant problems facing today's OLAP customers: managing the exponential growth generated by multidimensional pre-aggregations, and architectural support for a wide array of OLAP data models. Microsoft discusses several aspects of its upcoming OLAP Server product, placing special emphasis on these areas. Solutions for managing voluminous pre-aggregates are discussed in the context of understanding of the dynamics of the data explosion problem, and a partial aggregation scheme that is adjusted according to user query needs. Flexible Hybrid OLAP is discussed as a compelling solution to a wide array of user needs and data requirements, with a focus on understanding the many different meanings associated with Hybrid OLAP and the strengths and weaknesses of each.