In a SQL Server Analysis Services (SQL) database, a perspective is a limited view of a cube. Perspectives enhance a user's experience by limiting the cube's visible objects to those objects relevant to the user's work. For example, a business that sells products through brick-and-mortar stores and online may have a cube with separate measure groups for reseller sales (sales at a store) and for internet sales (sales online). An employee in the Internet division of the company is probably only interested in internet sales, so an Analysis Services database developer could create an Internet Sales perspective that hides everything except the dimensions and measure groups related to internet sales.
It is very important to know that perspectives do not secure a database. Users can freely select data from one perspective or another and from the cube itself; perspectives do not stop users from accessing the data that they hide. Perspectives exist solely to enhance the user experience by making the cube appear less complex and more relevant. Security in Analysis Services is achieved through roles.
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Richard Mueller edited Revision 7. Comment: Removed (en-US) from title, added tag
Fernando Lugão Veltem edited Revision 4. Comment: added portuguese version
Ed Price MSFT edited Revision 3. Comment: Added "See Also" section.
Matt Burr MSFT edited Original. Comment: Added a link to SQL BOL tutorial on creating a Perspective.