Sisense BI ElastiCube Management & Data Connectivity 2 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: What is the purpose of ElastiCube clustering in a Sisense deployment?
- To split large datasets across multiple database tables
- To group related dashboards together for navigation
- To provide high availability and load balancing across multiple ElastiCube Server instances (Correct answer)
- To manage user group permissions more efficiently
Correct answer: To provide high availability and load balancing across multiple ElastiCube Server instances
ElastiCube clustering allows multiple ElastiCube Server instances to serve the same ElastiCube, providing high availability, failover, and load distribution across servers.
Question 2: How can custom SQL queries be incorporated into an ElastiCube schema in Sisense?
- By editing the .ecschema XML file directly with raw SQL
- By using the Custom SQL Table option within ElastiCube Manager (Correct answer)
- By writing stored procedures in the source database only
- Custom SQL is not supported; only visual table imports work
Correct answer: By using the Custom SQL Table option within ElastiCube Manager
ElastiCube Manager includes a Custom SQL Table option that lets users write SQL to define virtual tables, providing flexibility beyond standard drag-and-drop connectors.
Question 3: What is a calculated column in a Sisense ElastiCube?
- A column sourced directly from a calculated field in the source database
- A column generated by aggregating data from multiple tables at query time
- A derived column created using a formula expression and stored during the build process (Correct answer)
- A column that is computed dynamically each time a dashboard loads
Correct answer: A derived column created using a formula expression and stored during the build process
A calculated column is defined using formula expressions in ElastiCube and is computed and stored during the build process, making queries faster than run-time calculations.
Question 4: Which build type should be selected when only the structure of tables in the ElastiCube has changed but no data changes occurred?
- Full Build
- Accumulative Build
- Schema Changes Only (Correct answer)
- Metadata Refresh Only
Correct answer: Schema Changes Only
'Schema Changes Only' updates the ElastiCube's structural metadata without reloading all data, making it faster when only column types, names, or relationships changed.
Question 5: What is the recommended approach in Sisense for connecting to cloud SaaS data sources like Salesforce or Google Analytics?
- Export data to CSV manually and import on a schedule
- Use Sisense's native cloud connectors available in ElastiCube Manager (Correct answer)
- Write a custom REST API connector from scratch using Python
- Cloud SaaS sources are not supported natively; only on-premises databases work
Correct answer: Use Sisense's native cloud connectors available in ElastiCube Manager
Sisense provides native cloud connectors in ElastiCube Manager for major SaaS platforms, enabling direct scheduled data ingestion without manual exports.
Question 6: Which Sisense component is the dedicated tool for designing and building ElastiCube data models?
- Sisense Dashboard Designer
- Sisense Query Builder
- Sisense Schema Studio
- ElastiCube Manager (Correct answer)
Correct answer: ElastiCube Manager
ElastiCube Manager is Sisense's dedicated desktop application for designing, importing data, defining relationships, and building ElastiCube data models.
Question 7: What key performance advantage does ElastiCube's columnar storage provide for analytical workloads?
- Faster row-level OLTP transaction processing
- Better performance for aggregations and scans on large datasets by reading only relevant columns (Correct answer)
- Improved performance for frequent single-record inserts and updates
- Reduced storage space through row-level compression algorithms
Correct answer: Better performance for aggregations and scans on large datasets by reading only relevant columns
Columnar storage excels at analytical queries because aggregations and scans only need to read the specific columns involved rather than loading entire rows into memory.
Sisense BI ElastiCube Management & Data Connectivity 2
What is the purpose of ElastiCube clustering in a Sisense deployment?