Data visualization is the only part of the BI system that contains viewable elements for end users, so data visualization will be considered to design the frontend table of BI system (Kimball methodology states that ETL is the kitchen of the restaurant). Data visualization is all about displaying analytical information that is processed in an OLAP cube or a tabular model based on the logical design of data model (there are some scenarios where visualization will be done directly out of a data warehouse, and not the cube or BISM). Analytical information can be presented in many ways: grids, charts, static and dynamic reports, dashboards, or any feature that helps users to understand data and numbers in the best way.

Microsoft released a bunch of tools, such as SSRS, PerformancePoint, Power View, Excel, and Excel Services, for frontend designing. You learned about SSRS in previous chapters, and you already know that SSRS is one of the most powerful tools in reporting...