A cube is a multidimensional data structure containing dimensions (which encapsulate the characteristics) and measures (quantitative information) that describe a logical, connected set of information.

For example, “Jaspersoft OLAP Workbench - Store Cube” depicts a cube for sales by product and by store; the cube presents the sales figures (quantitative data) for a range of products and a group of stores (characteristics). The sales figures, such as STORE SALES and SALES COUNT, are the measures, and the product categories and store locations are the dimensions.