Book Image

Microsoft Tabular Modeling Cookbook

By : te Braak
Book Image

Microsoft Tabular Modeling Cookbook

By: te Braak

Overview of this book

Business Intelligence Semantic Models (BISM) is a technology that is designed to deliver analytical information to users through a variety of mechanisms that include model structure, definition, and design. This book demonstrates how to create BISM models so that information can be presented to users in an intuitive and easy-to-use format. Once the model is defined, we also show you how it can be managed and maintained so that the data in it remains current and secure. Microsoft Tabular Modeling Cookbook is an all-encompassing guide to developing, managing, creating, and using analytical models using the Business Intelligence Semantic Model (BISM). This title covers a range of modeling situations and common data analysis related problems to show you the techniques required to turn data into information using tabular modeling. Microsoft Tabular Modeling Cookbook examines three areas of tabular modeling: model development, model management and maintenance, and reporting. This book is a practical guide on how to develop semantic models and turn business data into information. It covers all phases of the model lifecycle from creation to administration and finally reporting. It also shows you how to create models which are designed to analyze data. All sections of BISM modeling from development to management and finally reporting are covered. The sections on development examine a wide range of techniques and tricks required to build models, including moving data into the model, structuring the model to manipulate the data, and finally the formulas required to answer common business questions; all of these are discussed in this book in detail. Finally, the book examines methods of reporting on the data within the model, including the creation of data-driven workbooks and reports for a powerful end user experience.
Table of Contents (13 chapters)
12
Index

Creating and managing partitions


The tabular model is an in-memory engine meaning that the data in the model (all models on the tabular server) is compressed and stored in the RAM while the server is running. The tabular server also stores data on the disk (storage for when the SSAS engine is not running)—however, the rule is generally that all queries against the model are performed on cached data. The exception to this, of course, is when there is not enough RAM for the engine to use, and paging occurs.

This is a stark contrast to Multidimensional Online Analytical Processing (MOLAP) storage, which stores data on the disk (notwithstanding aggregations that may have been cached). This storage requires an effective partitioning strategy as a performance consideration. That is, a strategy to physically store the data on the disk.

Aside from performance implications, partitioning is also used as a management function—it defines what data is available in the model. A common example of this is...