Коллеги! Хотелось бы сделать микроопрос. Кто использует на практике XML Analysis Services?
Хотелось бы узнать насколько стала популярна данная технология.


Для тех кто не в курсе что это такое выдержка

XML for Analysis is a Simple Object Access Protocol (SOAP)-based XML API, designed specifically for standardizing the data access interaction between a client application and a data provider working over the Web.

Currently, under traditional data access techniques such as OLE DB and ODBC, a client component that is tightly coupled to the data provider server must be installed on the client machine in order for an application to be able to access data from a data provider. Tightly coupled client components can create dependencies on a specific hardware platform, a specific operating system, a specific interface model, a specific programming language, and a specific match between versions of client and server components.

The requirement to install client components and the dependencies associated with tightly coupled architectures are unsuitable for the loosely coupled, stateless, cross-platform, and language independent environment of the Internet. To provide reliable data access to Web applications, the Internet, mobile devices, and cross-platform desktops need a standard methodology that does not require component downloads to the client.

Extensible Markup Language (XML) is generic and can be universally accessed. What if, instead of invoking a proprietary interface of a client component, you could call methods and transfer data through XML HTTP messages without any client component? What if the application developer could build client components without concern for tight coupling to a server component or application? What if an application, developed with any programming language and running on any platform, could access data from any place on the Web without having to plan for specific platform support or even a specific provider version? This specification answers these questions with XML for Analysis.

XML for Analysis advances the concepts of OLE DB by providing standardized universal data access to any standard data source residing over the Web without the need to deploy a client component that exposes COM interfaces. XML for Analysis is optimized for the Web by minimizing roundtrips to the server and targeting stateless client requests to maximize the scalability and robustness of a data source.

Мы делали несколь задачек на нем
1) Ребята с UNIX-машин ходили в наши решения. Правда потом Cirix-поставили и MS Excel Forever!
2) Делали свой простенький OLAP-клиент с выводом в PDF (медикам нужно для получения форм по ГОСТу). Правда после выхода MS Reporting Services особо не так нужно стало.
3) Свой простенький OLAP-клиент не требующий установки PTS на клиентах.
4) Сейчас думаем делалать еще одну интеграшку.