Course Description
The focus of this five-day instructor-led course is on creating managed enterprise BI solutions. It describes how to implement multidimensional and tabular data models, create dashboards with Microsoft SharePoint Server PerformancePoint Services, and discover business insights by using data mining.
Note: This course is designed for customers who are interested in learning SQL Server 2012 or SQL Server 2014. It covers the new features in SQL Server 2014, but also the important capabilities across the SQL Server data platform.
This course is intended for database professionals who need to fulfill a Business Intelligence Developer role to create analysis and reporting solutions. Primary responsibilities include:
- Guidance on implementing a star schema-based data warehouse from on production database
- Implementing analytical data models, such as OLAP cubes.
- Creating business performance dashboards.
- Supporting data mining and predictive analysis.
Before attending this course, students must have:
Exposure to creating reports in Microsoft Access or other third-party reporting products, such as Crystal Reports.
Conceptual understanding of the push and pull distribution/subscription paradigm.
Experience navigating the Microsoft Windows Server environment.
In addition, it is recommended, but not required that students have completed course:
SQL100: Introduction to Transact-SQL
After completing this course, students will be able to:
- Describe the components, architecture, and nature of a BI solution.
- Design and implement a data warehouse star schema
- Create a multidimensional database with Analysis Services.
- Implement dimensions in a cube.
- Implement measures and measure groups in a cube.
- Use MDX Syntax.
- Customize a cube.
- Implement a Tabular Data Model in SQL Server Analysis Services.
- Use DAX to enhance a tabular model.
- Implement a dashboard in SharePoint Server with PerformancePoint Services.
- Implement a report with parameters and deliver through SharePoint
- Use Data Mining for Predictive Analysis.
Agenda
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: Designing and Implementing a Data Warehouse (Module 3 from 20463)
This module describes the key considerations for the logical design of a data warehouse, and then discusses best practices for its physical implementation.
Lessons
Data Warehouse Design Overview
Designing Dimension Tables
Designing Fact Tables
Physical Design for a Data Warehouse
Lab : Implementing a Data Warehouse
Implement a Star Schema
Implement a Snowflake Schema
Implement a Time Dimension
After completing this module, you will be able to:
Describe a process for designing a dimensional model for a data warehouse
Design dimension tables for a data warehouse
Design fact tables for a data warehouse
Design and implement effective physical data structures for a data warehouse
Module 3: Creating Multidimensional Databases
This module provides an introduction to multidimensional databases and introduces the core components of an Online Analytical Processing (OLAP) cube.
Lessons
Introduction to Multidimensional Analysis
Creating Data Sources and Data Source Views
Creating a Cube
Overview of Cube Security
Lab : Creating a Multidimensional Database
Creating a Data Source
Creating and Modifying a Data Source View
Creating and Modifying a Cube
Adding a Dimension
After completing this module, you will be able to:
Describe the considerations for a multidimensional database
Create data sources and data source views
Create a cube
Implement security in a multidimensional database
Module 4: Working with Cubes and Dimensions
This module describes how to create and configure dimensions and dimension hierarchies in an Analysis Services multidimensional data model.
Lessons
Configuring Dimensions
Defining Attribute Hierarchies
Sorting and Grouping Hierarchies
Lab : Defining Dimensions
Configuring Dimensions and Attributes
Creating Hierarchies
Creating a Hierarchy with Attribute Relationships
Creating a Ragged Hierarchy
Browsing Dimensions and Hierarchies in a Cube
After completing this module, you will be able to:
Configure dimensions
Define attribute hierarchies
Sort and group attributes
Module 5: Working with Measures and Measure Groups
This module describes measures and measure groups. It also explains how you can use them to define fact tables and associate dimensions with measures.
Lessons
Working with Measures
Working with Measure Groups
Lab : Configuring Measures and Measure Groups
Configuring Measures
Defining a Regular Relationship
Configuring Measure Group Storage
After completing this module, you will be able to:
Configure measures
Configure measure groups
Module 6: Introduction to MDX
This module describes the fundamentals of MDX and explains how to build calculations, such as calculated members and named sets.
Lessons
MDX Fundamentals
Adding Calculations to a Cube
Using MDX to Query a Cube
Lab : Using MDX
Creating Calculated Members
Querying a Cube by Using MDX
After completing this module, you will be able to:
Describe MDX
Add calculations to a cube
Describe how to use MDX in client applications
Module 7: Enhancing a Cube
This module describes how to enhance a cube with Key Performance Indicators (KPIs), actions, perspectives, and translations.
Lessons
Working with Key Performance Indicators
Working with Actions
Working with Perspectives
Working with Translations
Lab : Customizing a Cube
Implementing an Action
Implementing Perspectives
Implementing a Translation
After completing this module, you will be able to:
Implement Key Performance Indicators
Implement Actions
Implement Perspectives
Implement Translations
Module 8: Implementing an Analysis Services Tabular Data Model
This module describes Analysis Services tabular data models and explains how to develop a tabular data model using the SQL Server Data Tools for Business Intelligence (BI) add-in for Visual Studio.
Lessons
Introduction to Analysis Services Tabular Data Models
Creating a Tabular Data Model
Using an Analysis Services Tabular Data Model in the Enterprise
Lab : Implementing an Analysis Services Tabular Data Model
Creating an Analysis Services Tabular Data Model Project
Configuring Columns and Relationships
Deploying an Analysis Services Tabular Data Model
After completing this module, you will be able to:
Describe Analysis Services tabular data model projects
Implement an Analysis Services tabular data model
Use an Analysis Services tabular data model
Module 9: 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
Module 10: Delivering BI with SharePoint PerformancePoint Services
This module introduces Microsoft SharePoint Server as a platform for BI, and then focuses on building BI dashboards and scorecards with PerformancePoint Services.
Lessons
Introduction to SharePoint Server as a BI Platform
Introduction to PerformancePoint Services
PerformancePoint Data Sources and Time Intelligence
Reports, Scorecards, and Dashboards
Lab : Implementing a SharePoint Server BI Solution
Creating a SharePoint Server Site for BI
Configuring PerformancePoint Data Access
Creating PerformancePoint Reports
Creating a PerformancePoint Scorecard
Creating a PerformancePoint Dashboard
After completing this module, you will be able to:
Describe SharePoint Server as a BI platform
Use PerformancePoint Services to deliver BI functionality
Configure PerformancePoint Data Sources
Create Reports, Scorecards, and Dashboards
Module 11: 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