title	description	ms.date	ms.service	ms.custom	ms.topic	ms.author	ms.reviewer	author
Logical Architecture (Analysis Services - Multidimensional Data) \| Microsoft Docs	Learn that SSAS uses both server and client components to supply OLAP and data mining functionality for business intelligence applications.	05/02/2018	analysis-services	olap	conceptual	kfollis	kfollis	kfollis

Understanding Microsoft OLAP Logical Architecture

[!INCLUDEappliesto-sqlas] [!INCLUDEmsCoName] [!INCLUDEssNoVersion] [!INCLUDEssASnoversion] uses both server and client components to supply online analytical processing (OLAP) and data mining functionality for business intelligence applications:

The server component of [!INCLUDEssASnoversion] is implemented as a Microsoft Windows service. [!INCLUDEssNoVersion] [!INCLUDEssASnoversion] supports multiple instances on the same computer, with each instance of [!INCLUDEssASnoversion] implemented as a separate instance of the Windows service.
Clients communicate with [!INCLUDEssASnoversion] using the public standard XML for Analysis (XMLA), a SOAP-based protocol for issuing commands and receiving responses, exposed as a Web service. Client object models are also provided over XMLA, and can be accessed either by using a managed provider, such as ADOMD.NET, or a native OLE DB provider.
Query commands can be issued using the following languages: SQL; Multidimensional Expressions (MDX), an industry standard query language for analysis; or Data Mining Extensions (DMX), an industry standard query language oriented toward data mining. Analysis Services Scripting Language (ASSL) can also be used to manage [!INCLUDEssASnoversion] database objects.

[!INCLUDEssASnoversion] also supports a local cube engine that enables applications on disconnected clients to browse locally stored multidimensional data. For more information, see Client Architecture Requirements for Analysis Services Development