Even as stated in current SAS OLAP training sessions, refreshing OLAP Cubes doesn't work as documented. Problems arise when specifying special options for formats (like reducing from $300. to less than the maximum $256.) since these are not stored in the saved PROC OLAP code. Also, if you run the saved PROC OLAP sas program, the failure will relate to existing metadata. It cannot refresh the table unless you delete it first. Of course, if you delete it and the table doesn't update in BATCH mode properly, you have a issue that now the users know about.

Therefore; the following tips are lessons learned when refreshing OLAP cubes.

• Continue to SAVE the PROC OLAP Code just for peace of mind (and to copy for the following steps).
• Copy the top part of the code and add the option: delete_physical. This retains the metadata, just removing the tables.proc olap cube=cube_name

  delete_physical;

  metasvr metaserver connection info;

  run; quit;

• Then run the PROC OLAP Short Codeproc olap cube=cube_name;

  metasvr metaserver connection info;

  run; quit;

• Save these steps in a SAS program and Run in Batch Mode