Difference between ROLAP, MOLAP and
HOLAP
1. Relational Online Analytical Processing (ROLAP) :
ROLAP servers are placed between relational backend server and client front-end tools. It uses relational
or extended DBMS to store and manage warehouse data. ROLAP has basically 3 main components:
Database Server, ROLAP server, and Front-end tool.
Advantages of ROLAP –
● ROLAP is used for handle the large amount of data.
● ROLAP tools don’t use pre-calculated data cubes.
● Data can be stored efficiently.
● ROLAP can leverage functionalities inherent in the relational database.
Disadvantages of ROLAP –
● Performance of ROLAP can be slow.
● In ROALP, difficult to maintain aggregate tables.
● Limited by SQL functionalities.
2. Multidimensional Online Analytical Processing (MOLAP) :
MOLAP does not uses relational database to [Link] stores in optimized multidimensional array
storage. The storage utilization may be low With multidimensional data stores. Many MOLAP server
handle dense and sparse data sets by using two levels of data storage representation. MOLAP has 3
components : Database Server, MOLAP server, and Front-end tool.
Advantages of MOLAP –
● MOLAP is basically used for complex calculations.
● MOLAP is optimal for operation such as slice and dice.
● MOLAP allows fastest indexing to the pre-computed summarized data.
Disadvantages of MOLAP –
● MOLAP can’t handle large amount of data.
● In MOLAP, Requires additional investment.
● Without re-aggregation, difficult to change dimension.
3. Hybrid Online Analytical Processing (HOLAP) :
Hybrid is a combination of both ROLAP and [Link] offers functionalities of both ROLAP and as well as
MOLAP like faster computation of MOLAP and higher scalability of ROLAP. The aggregations are stored
separately in MOLAP store. Its server allows storing the large data volumes of detailed information.
Advantages of HOLAP –
● HOLAP provides the functionalities of both MOLAP and ROLAP.
● HOLAP provides fast access at all levels of aggregation.
Disadvantages of HOLAP –
HOLAP architecture is very complex to understand because it supports both MOLAP and
ROLAP.
BasisBASISB ROLAP MOLAP HOLAP
Storage location Relational Multidimensional Multidimensional
for summary Database is used Database is used Database is used
aggregation as storage as storage as storage
location for location for location for
summary summary summary
aggregation. aggregation. aggregation.
Processing time Processing time Processing time Processing time
of ROLAP is very of MOLAP is fast. of HOLAP is fast.
slow.
Storage space Large storage Medium storage Small storage
requirement space space space
requirement in requirement in requirement in
ROLAP as MOLAP as HOLAP as
compare to compare to compare to
MOLAP and ROLAP and MOLAP and
HOLAP. HOLAP. ROLAP.
Storage location Relational Multidimensional Relational
for detail data database is used database is used database is used
as storage as storage as storage
location for detail location for detail location for detail
data. data. data.
Latency Low latency in High latency in Medium latency
ROLAP as MOLAP as in HOLAP as
compare to compare to compare to
MOLAP nad ROLAP and MOLAP and
HOLAP. HOLAP. ROLAP.
Query response Slow query Fast query Medium query
time response time in response time in response time in
ROLAP as MOLAP as HOLAP as
compare to compare to compare to
MOLAP and ROLAP and MOLAP and
HOLAP. HOLAP. ROLAP.
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