Data warehousing is a method by which an organization stores its data
so that the information contained in that data can be ascertained, acc
essed and analyzed more quickly and efficiently than would be possible
when using a conventional architecture. Multidimensional databases (M
DD) provide an efficient means to analytical processing, but the cost
is prohibitive for many small and mid-sized organizations. This paper
addresses the need for an inexpensive solution to an information manag
ement problem that can be solved by database application developers us
ing conventional tools. A relational database management system (RDBMS
) can be used to emulate a MDD and still maintain an acceptable perfor
mance level in a client server environment.