the dimensional model is a specialized adaptation of the relational model used to represent data in data warehouses in a way that data can be easily summarized using online analytical processing, or olap queries. in the dimensional model, a database schema consists of a single large table of facts that are described using dimensions and measures. a dimension provides the context of a fact (such as who participated, when and where it happened, and its type) and is used in queries to group related facts together. dimensions tend to be discrete and are often hierarchical; for example, the location might include the building, state, and country. a measure is a quantity describing the fact, such as revenue. it is important that measures can be meaningfully aggregated—for example, the revenue from different locations can be added together.