Course Description
Course Description
The focus of this three-day instructor led course is on creating reports. It describe how to create and deliver reports with Microsoft SQL Server Reporting Services, how to discover business insights with data mining and present those in reports, and creating reports using self-service data models and Power Pivot, Power View and Power Map. Extra content is provided for self-study on Power Query and DAX.
Note: This course is designed for customers who are interested in learning how to create basic reports, enhance those reports with graphs, charts, and other elements. It also teaches using parameters as query parameters and filters. Ninety percent of the Reporting Services content is applicable to SSRS 2008, and R2, while being taught using SSRS 2012/2014. While this course has labs that focus on using SharePoint integrated mode of Reporting Services, SSRS native mode is presented to show the minor differences.
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Audience
The primary audience for this course is report developers whether they are working in IT as report developers or in business departments as data analysts
At course completion
After completing this course, students will be able to:
- Describe key features and benefits of Reporting Services and self-service BI.
- Create reports with Reporting Services.
- Enhance reports with charts and parameters
- Manage report execution and delivery
- Use data mining for predictive analysis
- Use SQL Server Reporting Services to implement a self-service reporting solution
- Use PowerPivot in Microsoft Excel to create analytical data models.
- Use Power View in Microsoft Excel to create interactive data visualizations and share them as reports.
- Use Power Map in Microsoft Excel to create geographic data visualizations and share them as reports.
- User Microsoft SharePoint Server to implement collaborative self-service BI solutions.
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Course Outline
Module 1: Introduction to Business Intelligence and Data Modeling
As a SQL Server database professional, you may be required to participate in, or perhaps even lead, a project with the aim of implementing an effective enterprise BI solution. Therefore, it is important that you have a good understanding of the various elements that comprise a BI solution, the business and IT personnel typically involved in a BI project, and the Microsoft products that you can use to implement the solution.
Lessons
- Elements of an Enterprise BI Solution
- The Microsoft Enterprise BI Platform
- Planning an Enterprise BI Project
Lab: Exploring a BI Solution
- Exploring the Data Warehouse
- Exploring the Analysis Services Data Model
- Exploring Reports
After completing this module, you will be able to:
- Describe the elements of a typical BI solution.
- Select appropriate Microsoft technologies for a BI solution.
- Describe key considerations for planning a BI project.
Module 2: Implementing Reports with SQL Server Reporting Services
This module introduces Microsoft SQL Server Reporting Services and discusses the tools and techniques that a professional BI developer can use to create and publish reports.
Lessons
- Introduction to Reporting Services
- Creating a Report with Report Designer
- Grouping and Aggregating Data in a Report
- Publishing and Viewing a Report
Lab: Creating a Report with Report Designer
- Creating a Report
- Grouping and Aggregating Data
- Publishing a Report
After completing this module, you will be able to:
- Describe the key features of Reporting Services
- Use Report Designer to create a report
- Group and aggregate data in a report
- Publish and view a report
Module 3: Enhancing Reports with SQL Server Reporting Services
This module describes how to enhance a SQL Server reporting Services report with charts and other visualizations, and how to use parameters to filter data in a report.
Lessons
- Showing Data Graphically
- Filtering Reports by Using Parameters
Lab: Enhancing a Report
- Adding a Chart to a Report
- Adding Parameters to a Report
- Using Data Bars and Sparklines
- Using a Map
After completing this module, you will be able to:
- Use charts and other visualizations to show data graphically in a report
- Use parameters to filter data in a report
Module 4: Managing Report Execution and Delivery
This module describes how to apply security and report execution settings, and how to create subscriptions to deliver reports.
Lessons
- Managing Report Security
- Managing Report Execution
- Subscriptions and Data Alerts
- Troubleshooting Reporting Services
Lab: Configuring Report Execution and Delivery
- Configuring Report Execution
- Implementing a Standard Subscription
- Implementing a Data-Driven Subscription
After completing this module, you will be able to:
- Configure security settings for a report server.
- Configure report execution settings to optimize performance.
- Use subscriptions and alerts to automate report and data delivery.
- Troubleshoot reporting issues
Module 5: Self-Service Reporting
This module describes how to use Report Builder as a tool for self-service Microsoft SQL Server Reporting Services report authoring.
Lessons
- Introduction to Self-Service Reporting
- Shared Data Sources and Datasets
- Report Parts
Lab: Implementing Self-Service Reporting
- Using Report Builder
- Simplifying Data Access for Business Users
- Using Report Parts
After completing this module, you will be able to:
- Support self-service reporting with Report Builder.
- Create shared data sources and datasets for self-service reporting scenarios.
- Use report parts as reusable report elements.
Module 6: Self-Service Data Modeling with PowerPivot
This module describes how to use PowerPivot in Microsoft Excel to create self-service data models for analysis.
Lessons
- Creating Data Models in Excel with PowerPivot
- Using DAX in a PowerPivot Data Model
Lab: Self-Service Data Modeling with PowerPivot
- Creating a Data Model with PowerPivot
- Enhancing a Data Model
- Extending a Data Model
After completing this module, you will be able to:
- Use PowerPivot to create tabular data models in Excel.
- Enhance data models with custom DAX expressions.
Module 7: Visualizing Data with Power View in Microsoft Excel
This module describes how to use Power View in Microsoft Excel to create interactive data visualizations.
Lessons
- Introduction to Power View
- Creating Dynamic Data Visualizations
Lab: Visualizing Data with Power View
After completing this module, you will be able to:
- Describe the features of Power View
- Use Power View to create interactive data visualizations in Excel
Module 8: Visualizing Geographic Data with Power Map
This module describes how to use Power Map in Microsoft Excel to create geographic data visualizations.
Lessons
- Introduction to Power Map
- Using Power Map
Lab: Visualizing Geographic Data with Power Map
- Creating a Power Map Tour
- Visualizing Data Over Time
After completing this module, you will be able to:
- Describe the features and usage scenarios of Power Map
- Use Power Map to create visualizations of geographic data
Module 9: Performing Predictive Analysis with Data Mining
This module introduces data mining, describes how to create a data mining solution, how to validate data mining models, how to use the Data Mining Add-ins for Microsoft Excel, and how to incorporate data mining results into Reporting Services reports.
Lessons
- Overview of Data Mining
- Creating a Data Mining Solution
- Validating a Data Mining Model
- Consuming Data Mining Data
Lab: Using Data Mining to Support a Marketing Campaign
- Using Table Analysis Tools
- Creating a Data Mining Structure
- Adding a Data Mining Model to a Data Mining Structure
- Validating a Data Mining Model
- Using a Data Mining Model in a Report
After completing this module, you will be able to:
- Describe the key data mining concepts and use the Data Mining Add-ins for Excel
- Create a data mining solution
- Validate data mining models
- Use data mining data in a report
- Some basic knowledge of data warehouse schema topology (including star and snowflake schemas).
- Some exposure to basic programming constructs (such as looping and branching).
- An awareness of key business priorities such as revenue, profitability, and financial accounting is desirable.
Appendix A: Importing Data with Power Query
This lesson describes how to use Power Query in Microsoft Excel to find and import data.
Lessons
- Introduction to Power Query
- Using Power Query to Import Data
Lab: Using Power Query
- Importing data with Power Query
- Merging Queries
- Adding a Query to a Data Model
After completing this module, you will be able to:
- Enable Power Query and use it to search for data online
- Use Power Query to import data from multiple data sources into an Excel data model
Appendix B: Introduction to DAX
This module explains the fundamentals of the DAX language. It also explains how you can use DAX to create calculated columns and measures, and how you can use them in your tabular data models.
Lessons
- DAX Fundamentals
- Enhancing a Tabular Data Model with DAX
Lab: Using DAX to Enhance a Tabular Data Model
- Creating Calculated Columns
- Creating Measures
- Creating a KPI
- Implementing a Parent-Child Hierarchy
After completing this module, you will be able to:
- Describe the fundamentals of DAX
- Use DAX to create calculated columns and measures
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