Project Online does not offer the OLAP cubes which have been around since Project Server 2003. Instead Project Online offers you to use “OData Feeds” and the question is then: “How easy and flexible” is that”?
First of all OData defines an abstract data model, and a protocol that let any client access information exposed by any data source. Below figure shows some of the most important examples of clients and data sources, illustrating where OData fits in the picture.
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When it comes Project Online versus OData you actually only need to know the correct PWA path, in order for you to create great looking Excel reports. Here is how you do it:
1. Open Excel and add data from Other Sources – Select OData feed and use your PWA header + _api/ProjectData
2. Select which tables to get the information from e.g. “Projects”, which also contains all you Project level custom fields
3. Create the data from a PivotTable Report to get the same “feel” as if you were running on OLAP cubes
4. Create the report the way you would like using the Fields picker on the right side.
And that is how you create a report when not having an OLAP cube around – simple right?