[R] R client connection OLAP cube (SQL Analysis Services / PivotTable Service)

[Olivier Collignon]

I have been doing data analysis/modeling in R, connecting to SQL databases 
with RODBC (winXP client with R1.9.0 and win2k SQL server 2000).

I am now trying to leverage some of the OLAP features to keep the data 
intensive tasks on the DB server side and only keep the analytical tasks 
within R (optimize use of memory). Is there any package that would allow to 
connect to OLAP cubes (as a client to SQL Analysis Services PivotTable 
Service) from an R session (similar to the RODBC package)?

Can this be done directly with special connection parameters (from R) 
through the RODBC package or do I have to setup an intermediary XL table 
(pivottable linked to the OLAP cube) and then connect to the XL data source 
from R?

I would appreciate any reference / pointer to OLAP/R configuration 
instructions. Thanks.

Olivier Collignon