Part 3 - Models – Kepion Support Center

Author: Ian Britz

Introduction

Now let's define the Models. Models are used to capture or report on data in an application. Let's use the Dimensions we designed to build the following Models.

Assumption Model

Navigate to the All Models node in the right-hand navigation pane. Select Add to create a new Model.

We'll call the first one Assumption, as it'll be used to enter our base assumptions about the products we're selling; for example, the number of units we plan to sell and the price we plan to sell them at.

The default Model includes both the Account and Time Dimensions. We won't be using the Account Dimension in our Assumption Model, so select it and click Remove.

Then click the Add button and include the Metric, Product, and Scenario Dimensions.

Note: As a best practice, you should always add Dimensions through this process. The Add Role Dimension feature below is a more advanced technique with a limited use case.

If a Dimension that we add has multiple Member Lists, we can select which one we want to use here. For the Time Dimension, ensure the Months Member List is selected.

Expense Model

Next, return to the All Models node and create another Model. We'll call this one Expense. It will be used to track all of our operational expenses. All we need to add here is the Scenario Dimension.

Reporting Model

Lastly, let's create our Reporting Model.

As the Expense and Reporting Models both use the same three Dimensions, let's use the Copy From field to create a copy of the Expense Model.

Deployment

Kepion uses both a SQL Database and SSAS Database. The SQL Database holds all the tables and data in the application, while the SSAS Database contains aggregations of table data. In order to build the OLAP Cubes defined by the Models, we need to deploy the application.

Note: Any changes we make to the Dimensions or Models will require that we re-deploy the application.

Next Steps

Now that we have our Models defined, we can start creating the first Form we need in our Assumption Model.

Part 4 - Form I