OLAP

Online Analytical Processing, a category of software tools that provides analysis of data stored in a database. OLAP tools enable users to analyze different dimensions of multidimensional data. For example, it provides time series and trend analysis views. OLAP often is used in data mining. OLAP is implemented in a multi-user client/server mode and offers consistently rapid response to queries, regardless of database size and complexity.

The chief component of OLAP is the OLAP server, which sits between a client and a database management systems (DBMS). The OLAP server understands how data is organized in the database and has special functions for analyzing the data. There are OLAP servers available for nearly all the major database systems. Basic Operations
Drill Down
Navigate higher levels of detail like from regional analysis to specific plant analysis, further to team analysis

Roll up
Navigate to lower levels of details like from month analysis to quarter analysis.

Slice
Cut through cube so that user can focus on same specific perspectives. Like analyzing on the product cell phone.

Pivot (rotate)

OLAP
Relational online analytical processing (ROLAP) Multidimensional online analytical processing (MOLAP) Hybrid online analytical processing (HOLAP)