The CM4D database is complex, highly relational, optimized for small size and contains items for complex analysis (including full 3D CAD information). Therefore, it is not suited for use in a dashboard or similar reporting application. The CM4D Results database on the other hand, is designed for exactly that purpose.
CM4D uses the data it collects to generate results according to your business rules, which are then stored in a data warehouse called the CM4D Results database. The primary consumer of the Results data is CM4D Peruse, a 3D web reporting and analysis application. Business Intelligence (BI) or other reporting tools may also be used to extract, transform, and load the stored results data for aggregation and analysis.
The Results database is a very simple and fast cache of all the data in all CM4D databases in a CM4D Site database. All data is pre-evaluated for Tolerance or Control Limits, and any 3D math is already done by CM4D before it is stored in the Results database. The database synchronizes with CM4D so that any time data changes, the results are automatically updated. Results are always overwritten by the last data put into the Results database. When a user runs a query, they get the data as it is available at that time.
Benefits of Results
The Results database has many advantages when retrieving data when compared to using the CM4D database alone. The Results database provides pre-evaluated data and a simple data structure that allows for fast data retrieval. It also allows for things like Monthly and Weekly roll-ups of large data sets, drilldown filtering and exporting data to other systems.
Integration with CM4D
The Results Database cannot be used separately from the CM4D system, as it is CM4D that is the powerful engine behind everything that is needed (raw data, statistical calculations and 3D maths) to generate results before sending the data to the Results database. CM4D also handles alignments, constructions, pattern matching, 3D transformations and relates all measurements directly to the CAD in 3D space. Complex reports created in CM4D cannot be reproduced in dashboards and BI tools are too slow when calculating complex statistics (e.g., Cp/Cpk).
Data Integrity
The Results database can easily be recreated at any time without loss of data. CM4D stores all of the raw data (Nominals and Actual measurements), so if things change it can re-evaluate the raw data as needed.
See also:
Results Services Data Flow