Webix

Webix is a Web-based OLAP tool that provides all necessary functions for effective and rapid development of customer-specific information system.

This software allows building business applications on the basis of the customer's data stored in his relational database, creating and managing OLAP objects right in the browser. Meta-information is stored in its own meta-model, and is ready-to-use for users also in the browser. The developer does not require any experience in programming to develop their custom applications in this system easily and promptly.

Webix consists of a set of modules:

Metamodel - internal meta-model implemented according to classic OLAP design, including dimensions with nodes, data cubes with periods and other OLAP objects;
Analyzer - a module that allows users to browse, search, collect and compare data easily;
Reporter - makes creation of reports with regard to the user's data fast and comfortable (reporting is based on XML/XSL/XSLT server-side, including FPO for creation of reports in PDF);
DataBrowser - a data explorer tool allowing user access to its data and data model from Web, which helps to create OLAP objects on the basis of relational databases;
Transformer - a highly useful engine allowing different types of data modification to be stored in the relational database and providing ANSI-92 SQL standard compliant interface to them. Such transformations as rotation, copy, and many others are just simple expressions in Webix Transformer module;
Designer - provides all required functions to define and manage Webix (OLAP) objects, and to do all of this in the Web-browser;
Administrator - possesses all necessary administration activities, such as logging, session-management, security, users and user groups administration;
Cooperator - collaboration tool that can be very helpful in multi-user environment, the tool implements most of usually required support and notification mechanisms.

Webix is a unique Web-based data warehousing solution, allowing to combine usage of outdated data warehousing techniques with modern, top-notch technology achievements - Web, Java, JDBC, XML/XSL.

The unique detail that distinguishes Webix from classic OLAP-based system is that nodes aren't necessarily stored in the internal metamodel, but can also be left in the customer's database, if necessary. If these fields are indexed in the external data model and no specific conditions in queries running over these fields are required, the application runs with the same performance, but obviously doesn't require a periodical import of these nodes into OLAP metamodel.

Tools and technologies used:

Time spent: 336 man-months.