Tabular Modeling in Microsoft SQL Server Analysis Services

Description

• CHAPTER 1 Introducing the tabular model
• CHAPTER 2 Getting started with the tabular model
• CHAPTER 3 Loading data inside Tabular
• CHAPTER 4 Introducing calculations in DAX
• CHAPTER 5 Building hierarchies
• CHAPTER 6 Data modeling in Tabular
• CHAPTER 7 Tabular Model Scripting Language (TMSL)
• CHAPTER 8 The tabular presentation layer
• CHAPTER 9 Using DirectQuery
• CHAPTER 10 Security
• CHAPTER 11 Processing and partitioning tabular models
• CHAPTER 12 Inside VertiPaq
• CHAPTER 13 Interfacing with Tabular
• CHAPTER 14 Monitoring and tuning a Tabular service
• CHAPTER 15 Optimizing tabular models
• CHAPTER 16 Choosing hardware and virtualization 

This book provides a complete and updated guide to the features available in Analysis Services 2016 for the Tabular model only, targeting different audiences from the authors’ previous book on Microsoft SQL Server 2012 Analysis Services: those who have never used Analysis Services Tabular, and existing BI developers who already use previous versions of Analysis Services and want to learn Microsoft’s new features in detail and depth.

Marco Russo and Alberto Ferrari are the founders of sqlbi.com, where they regularly publish articles about Microsoft Power Pivot, Power BI, DAX, and SQL Server Analysis Services. Russo and Ferrari have worked with Analysis Services since the first version in 1999. Both Russo and Ferrari provide consultancy and mentoring on business intelligence (BI). They are also frequent speakers at major international conferences, including Microsoft Ignite, PASS Summit, and SQLBits.

• Comprehensive, insider coverage of SSAS Tabular modeling, including best practices and optimizations of Tabular models
• Starts with tabular data modeling fundamentals, and moves on to advanced optimization, deployment, and scalability
• By two of the world’s leading experts on data modeling and analysis with Microsoft technologies

Create a semantic model and analyse data using the tabular model in SQL Server 2016 Analysis Services to create corporate-level business intelligence (BI) solutions. Led by two BI experts, you will learn how to build, deploy, and query a tabular model by following detailed examples and best practices. This hands-on book shows you how to use the tabular model’s in-memory database to perform rapid analytics—whether you are new to Analysis Services or already familiar with its multidimensional model.

Discover how to:

• Determine when a tabular or multidimensional model is right for your project
• Build a tabular model using SQL Server Data Tools in Microsoft Visual Studio 2015
• Integrate data from multiple sources into a single, coherent view of company information
• Choose a data-modeling technique that meets your organisation’s performance and usability requirements
• Implement security by establishing administrative and data user roles
• Define and implement partitioning strategies to reduce processing time
• Use Tabular Model Scripting Language (TMSL) to execute and automate administrative tasks
• Optimise your data model to reduce the memory footprint for VertiPaq
• Choose between in-memory (VertiPaq) and pass-through (DirectQuery) engines for tabular models
• Select the proper hardware and virtualisation configurations
• Deploy and manipulate tabular models from C# and PowerShell using AMO and TOM libraries

With SQL Server Analysis Services 2016, Microsoft has dramatically upgraded its Tabular approach to business intelligence data modeling, making Tabular the easiest and best solution for most new projects. In this book, two world-renowned experts in Microsoft data modeling and analysis cover all you need to know to create complete BI solutions with these powerful new tools.

Marco Russo and Alberto Ferrari walk you step-by-step through creating powerful data models, and then illuminate advanced features such as optimization, deployment, and scalability.

Tabular Modeling in Microsoft SQL Server Analysis Services will be indispensable for everyone moving to Analysis Services Tabular, regardless of their previous experience with tabular-style models or with Microsoft’s older Analysis Services offerings. It will also be an essential follow-up for every reader of the authors’ highly-praised Microsoft SQL Server 2012 Analysis Services: The BISM Tabular Model.

• Comprehensive, insider coverage of SSAS Tabular modeling, including best practices and optimizations of Tabular models
• Starts with tabular data modeling fundamentals, and moves on to advanced optimization, deployment, and scalability
• By two of the world’s leading experts on data modeling and analysis with Microsoft technologies

Additional information