Creating dimension hierarchies

After you define a dimension hierarchy in an external table or flat file, you can create dimension hierarchies in Unica Campaign.

Before you begin

Before you can create a dimension hierarchy in Unica Campaign, you or an consulting team must create the dimension hierarchy definition in a database table in your data mart or in a delimited or fixed-width flat file.

This is an operation external to Unica Campaign.

The lowest level of the dimension hierarchy must use either raw SQL or a pure Unica expression (no custom macros, user variables, or derived fields) to define the individual audience ID membership for each bin.

Procedure

Follow these steps to create a dimension hierarchy in Unica Campaign.
  1. Use one of these methods to open the Dimension hierarchies dialog:
    • When editing a flowchart, open the Admin menu and select Dimension hierarchies.
    • From the Campaign Settings page, click Manage dimension hierarchies.
  2. In the Dimension hierarchies dialog, click New dimension.
  3. Enter the details for the new dimension hierarchy:
    • The Dimension name
    • A Description
    • The Number of levels in the dimension hierarchy. This should correspond to the hierarchical levels in the table to which you are mapping this dimension hierarchy.
    • If you will use this dimension hierarchy as the basis for a cube, ensure that Elements are mutually exclusive is checked (by default, this option is checked). Otherwise, you will receive an error when you use this dimension hierarchy to create a cube because the elements cannot overlap in a cube.

      If you are creating a dimension hierarchy purely for use in selecting from a strategic segment, then it is permissible to disable this option and create overlapping definitions. It is recommended, however, that you creative non-overlapping bins so that dimension hierarchies you create can be freely used both for building cubes as well as with strategic segments.

  4. Click Map table.

    The Edit table definition dialog opens.

  5. To map your dimension hierarchy table to either a table in the database or a flat file containing the dimension hierarchy definition, follow the instructions in Mapping a base record table to an existing database table.

    After you finish mapping your dimension hierarchy, you return to the Edit dimension dialog, which now includes details for the new dimension hierarchy.

  6. Click OK.
  7. (Optional but recommended) You can store a dimension hierarchy for future use in a table catalog by clicking Save. If you store a dimension hierarchy you can retrieve it later for another use or share it with other users rather than recreating it.