One of the main components used in online analytical processing is known as OLAP server. This is a special software tool which provides data analysis of the data which is available in huge databases.
OLAP tool provides the help to the users in performing analysis of the different dimensions of the business data which is stored in multi dimensional databases. Some of the examples of this analysis are time series analysis & trend analysis which can be easily retrieved and viewed by many users at a time. Data mining is done using the OLAP. OLAP server works as a facilitator between the clients and the server which is a database management system (DBMS) and this is called intelligent software which knows how a data is to be organized in the databases and can perform the complex analysis of huge amounts of data in many dimensions using some of its special functions. The data analysis and reporting done by OLAP helps the business houses in understanding business trend and helps them in making some vital business decisions which help in growing business further.
OLAP performs its functions in multi user client server modules and it offers quick replies to the queries by users. The size of the database and its complexity does not affect its functionality. Users of this system synthesize the enterprise information with the help of personalized and comparative viewing apart from projected and historical analysis of data using many data model scenarios which include "what-if" analysis. OLAP system makes these things possible by the help of OLAP servers in generating the desired output of user queries. These types of servers are known as high capacity data manipulation engines designed for supporting and using multi dimensional data structures. Data structure is re-arranged to locate, allow and access the data items which are based on the intersection of the dimension members which defines data items.
The design of the OLAP server and the data structures are easily optimized to enable ad hoc & quick data retrieval in multiple orientations. It is also very helpful in fast calculations and transformation of raw data. OLAP server stages processing of multi dimensional information to the end users and it can also populate the data structures in real time from relational or other types of databases.