Setting default member of attribute hierarchy in MDX script. Default member not taken into account while using user defined hierarchy

Question

Hi all
I have a date dimension that (type time) with attributes
- [FiscalYear] (type years)
- [FiscalMonth] (type months)
- [FiscalWeek] (type weeks)
In addition to the attributes used in the natural hierarchy, I have an attribute [PerType] containing one member comming from the relational table 'WTD' which corresponds to 'Current Date'. All other members of this attribute hierarchy are calculated members (defined in the MDX script). Examples:
--Last year
CREATE MEMBER CURRENTCUBE.[Date].[PerType].[LY] AS NULL,
VISIBLE = 1;
SCOPE([Date].[PerType].[LY]);
SCOPE(DESCENDANTS([Date].[Fiscal].[All], [Date].[Fiscal].[Year], SELF_AND_AFTER));
THIS = ([Measures].CurrentMember, [Date].[PerType].[WTD], ParallelPeriod([Date].[Fiscal].[Year], 1));
END SCOPE;
END SCOPE;
--Month to date
CREATE MEMBER CURRENTCUBE.[Date].[PerType].[MTD] AS NULL,
VISIBLE = 1;
SCOPE([Date].[PerType].[MTD]);
SCOPE(DESCENDANTS([Date].[Fiscal].[All], [Date].[Fiscal].[Week], SELF_AND_AFTER));
THIS = Aggregate(CrossJoin({[Date].[PerType].[WTD]}, MTD([Date].[Fiscal].CurrentMember)));
END SCOPE;
END SCOPE;
--Year to date
CREATE MEMBER CURRENTCUBE.[Date].[PerType].[YTD] AS NULL,
VISIBLE = 1;
SCOPE([Date].[PerType].[YTD]);
SCOPE(DESCENDANTS([Date].[Fiscal].[All], [Date].[Fiscal].[Period], SELF_AND_AFTER));
THIS = Aggregate(CrossJoin({[Date].[PerType].[WTD]}, YTD([Date].[Fiscal].CurrentMember)));
END SCOPE;
END SCOPE;
The defalut member of FiscalWeek attribute hierarchy is set dynamically in the MDX script:
ALTER CUBE CURRENTCUBE UPDATE DIMENSION [Date].[FiscalWeek], DEFAULT_MEMBER =
Filter(
[Date].[FiscalWeek].Members,
[Date].[FiscalWeek].Properties( "FiscalWeekStartDate", TYPED) <= DateAdd("d", -2, CDate(CStr(Month(Now())) + "/" + CStr(Day(Now())) + "/" + CStr(Year(Now()))))
AND
[Date].[FiscalWeek].Properties( "FiscalWeekEndDate", TYPED) >= DateAdd("d", -2, CDate(CStr(Month(Now())) + "/" + CStr(Day(Now())) + "/" + CStr(Year(Now()))))
)(0).PrevMember;
If I run the following query:
with member
measures.x as [Date].[Fiscal].DefaultMember.Name
measures.y as [Date].[FiscalWeek].DefaultMember.Name
select
measures.x,
measures.y
} on axis(0)
from [GLWeekly]
it gives me back correctly the default member set over the MDX script.
I order the statements in the MDX Script so that the default period (week) is set at the beginning of the script (just after the calculate).
I do not understand why creating the following calculated member I am obliged to specify [Date].[Fiscal].CurrentMember in the tuple to have correct results:
MEMBER [Account].[CoA].[Standard Engagement Revenue (MTD)] AS ([Account].[CoA].[Standard Engagement Revenue], [Date].[PerType].[MTD], [Date].[Fiscal].CurrentMember)
I would expect that:
([Account].[CoA].[Standard Engagement Revenue], [Date].[PerType].[MTD])
is sufficient.
If the default week is specified in the slicer using a member of the natural hierachy (=> [Date].[Fiscal].x) it works.
Why can't SSAS use the default member if it is must defined in the MDX script?
Can someone explains me this. Thanks a lot in advance.

Answer 1

Hi Ina,
have you thought about adding a dynamic statement inside the MDX script? You could define the default member like this:
... DEFAULT_MEMBER = iif( Day( Now() ) = 3, <expression for previous month>, <expression for current month> );
This way you don't need to change it everytime by running a script.
By the way, what do you mean it doesn't update the default member? When you execute this MDX what does it says?
with member measures.x as [Dimension].[HierarchyName].DefaultMember.Name
select { measures.x } on 0 from Cubename
If this returns the correct name, then the problem is somewhere else. I believe it should return you the correct name. Look here, test this on Adventure Works, statement by statement and see what happens.
ALTER
CUBE [Adventure Works]
UPDATE
DIMENSION [Product].[Product Categories],
DEFAULT_MEMBER = [Product].[Product Categories].[Category].&[1]
with
member measures.x
as [Product].[Product Categories].DefaultMember.Name
select measures.x on 0
from [Adventure Works]
ALTER
CUBE [Adventure Works]
UPDATE
DIMENSION [Product].[Product Categories],
DEFAULT_MEMBER = [Product].[Product Categories].[All Products]
with
member measures.x
as [Product].[Product Categories].DefaultMember.Name
select measures.x on 0
from [Adventure Works]
I think you can see which members are default (on related hierarchies) using
MDX Studio. This should help you detect which attributes have not moved accordingly and hence cause problems in your report. The usual suspects are those attributes used in your last month reports. If that's too much for you, just copy paste the definition
of the measure x and use .CurrentMember instead .DefaultMember. And so for all related hierarchies of your dimension. You can run it as one query, just put enough measures (x1, x2, ...), one for each hierarchy, ok?
Here's a test for Day():
with
member measures.y
as
iif( Day(Now()) = 28, 'Yes', 'No' )
select
measures.y on 0
from [Adventure Works]
Today this returns Yes, tomorrow it will be No.
Ups, I just checked one more thing. When you run the script, it sets the default member only for that session. If you execute the first two of the four statements that I've sent you, it will set the default member on Bikes and show you that.
But, if you open another query windows and execute that select statement (only), you'll see All member instead. So, it has set it to Bikes only for the currect session. Consequence? You reports are not aware of it. So, better use dynamic statement in
your MDX script.
Regards,
Tomislav Piasevoli
Business Intelligence Specialist
www.softpro.hr