the metadata

when data is loaded into a mulitdimensional OLAP database , metadata is added to the data. Metadata is data about the data.The metadata in an OLAP database includes information about relationships and hierarchies in the data ,how the data should be sorted and summarized ,and how it should be formatted for presentation.the metadata in the OLAP database is what turns data into information. Complex caculations can be created and then sorted in the OLAP database.

当数据加载到多维度的OLAP数据库中的时候，元数据被加载到数据中，元数据是有关数据的数据，元数据就是在OLAP数据库中，他包含了有关于数据之间的关系和层级，和数据是如何被分类的和的，而且数据是被以何种格式显示出来的。

元数据在OLAP数据库中就是把数据转换成信息。