Supported Features for SQL Standard

Author: Kepion Product Team

Introduction

Kepion supports SQL Standard edition, but with somewhat limited functionality. In this article, we will explore how different SQL editions affect designing Kepion Applications. 

Differences in Functionality

Semi-additive Measures: The built-in Time Aggregation By Account feature of the Account Dimension is not available in SQL Standard edition. However, this functionality can be emulated by writing your own MDX logic on the cube. Kepion supports all valid MDX that SSAS supports, therefore anything missing from the built-in ByAccount logic can be emulated as MDX script.

The ByAccount logic typically is used for Balance Sheet calculations, where the data has specific aggregation based on the Time Dimension. For instance, the Q1 member of the Time Dimension should not aggregate the first 3 periods of Q1, but rather should show the data from the last period. For most standard account logic, the ByAccount logic is unnecessary. P&L/Income Statement calculations primarily rely on unary operators, and these are fully supported across all editions of SQL Server.

Multiple Partitions: This feature is constrained in SQL Standard by limiting you with up to 3 active partitions per measure group. Kepion Models come with a Writeback partition and a Rule partition. Both count as a partition if they are active.

In Kepion, you can create multiple measure groups with the same dimensionality. You can therefore work around this limitation by creating multiple measure groups to support the additional partitions.

Proactive Caching: Kepion emulates this feature for SQL Standard edition, while it leverages the built-in feature for Enterprise and Business Intelligence editions. From an end-user perspective, users of Kepion will experience the full ROLAP capabilities across all versions of SQL.

Perspectives: This feature is a bonus for those with the Enterprise and Business Intelligence versions of SQL Server. Nevertheless, SQL Standard does not support this feature, and can be worked around with better training documentation as it relates to which fields should be used for reporting in 3^rd party tools.

Differences in Scalability

For considerations of the scalability difference between SQL Server Enterprise and Standard editions, both are able to handle large-scale global deployments of Kepion Applications. The SQL Server Standard edition does have an upper limit of 24 CPU cores when it comes to database engine or analysis services, but for the use of Kepion Applications, this has been sufficient for high-performing production environments.