---
title: "Dimensions (Analysis Services - Multidimensional Data) | Microsoft Docs"
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ms.date: "03/06/2017"
ms.prod: "sql-server-2014"
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ms.technology: "analysis-services"
ms.topic: "reference"
helpviewer_keywords: 
  - "OLAP objects [Analysis Services], dimensions"
  - "dimensions [Analysis Services]"
  - "Analysis Services objects, dimensions"
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author: minewiskan
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manager: craigg
---
# Dimensions (Analysis Services - Multidimensional Data)
  In [!INCLUDE[msCoName](../../includes/msconame-md.md)] [!INCLUDE[ssNoVersion](../../includes/ssnoversion-md.md)] [!INCLUDE[ssASnoversion](../../includes/ssasnoversion-md.md)], dimensions are a fundamental component of cubes. Dimensions organize data with relation to an area of interest, such as customers, stores, or employees, to users. Dimensions in [!INCLUDE[ssASnoversion](../../includes/ssasnoversion-md.md)] contain attributes that correspond to columns in dimension tables. These attributes appear as attribute hierarchies and can be organized into user-defined hierarchies, or can be defined as parent-child hierarchies based on columns in the underlying dimension table. Hierarchies are used to organize measures that are contained in a cube. The following topics provide an overview of dimensions, attributes, and hierarchies.  
  
## In This Section  
  
|Topic|Description|  
|-----------|-----------------|  
|[Introduction to Dimensions (Analysis Services - Multidimensional Data)](dimensions-analysis-services-multidimensional-data.md)|Provides an overview of dimension concepts.|  
|[Attributes and Attribute Hierarchies](attributes-and-attribute-hierarchies.md)|Describes attributes and attribute hierarchies.|  
|[User Hierarchies](user-hierarchies.md)|Describes user-defined hierarchies of attributes.|  
|[Write-Enabled Dimensions](write-enabled-dimensions.md)|Describes write-enabled dimensions.|  
|[Dimension Translations](dimension-translations.md)|Describes translations of dimension meta data.|  
  
## See Also  
 [Dimensions in Multidimensional Models](../multidimensional-models/dimensions-in-multidimensional-models.md)   
 [Cube Objects (Analysis Services - Multidimensional Data)](../multidimensional-models-olap-logical-cube-objects/cube-objects-analysis-services-multidimensional-data.md)