Book Image

Tabular Modeling with SQL Server 2016 Analysis Services Cookbook

By : Derek Wilson
Book Image

Tabular Modeling with SQL Server 2016 Analysis Services Cookbook

By: Derek Wilson

Overview of this book

SQL Server Analysis Service (SSAS) has been widely used across multiple businesses to build smart online analytical reporting solutions. It includes two different types of modeling for analysis services: Tabular and Multi Dimensional. This book covers Tabular modeling, which uses tables and relationships with a fast in-memory engine to provide state of the art compression algorithms and query performance. The book begins by quickly taking you through the concepts required to model tabular data and set up the necessary tools and services. As you learn to create tabular models using tools such as Excel and Power View, you’ll be shown various strategies to deploy your model on the server and choose a query mode (In-memory or DirectQuery) that best suits your reporting needs. You’ll also learn how to implement key and newly introduced DAX functions to create calculated columns and measures for your model data. Last but not least, you’ll be shown techniques that will help you administer and secure your BI implementation along with some widely used tips and tricks to optimize your reporting solution. By the end of this book, you’ll have gained hands-on experience with the powerful new features that have been added to Tabular models in SSAS 2016 and you’ll be able to improve user satisfaction with faster reports and analytical queries.
Table of Contents (18 chapters)
Tabular Modeling with SQL Server 2016 Analysis Services Cookbook
Credits
About the Author
About the Reviewer
www.PacktPub.com
Customer Feedback
Preface

Importing data with Power Pivot


Power Pivot is an add-in for Excel that enables business users to create models using disparate data sources. Once the data is gathered, you can build PivotTables, PivotCharts, or Power View reports. For example, a user could import internal business data and mash it up with external data to create an analytical model to share with others in the company. Instead of requiring IT to be involved in building the solution, PowerPivot empowers users to go beyond requirements and actually build a solution. If the solution is required for the enterprise, the PowerPivot model can be used as the basis for the tabular model deployed to the server.

Getting ready

Before you can use PowerPivot for the first time, you will need to enable it in Microsoft Excel:

  1. Open Excel and go to File | Options and then Add-Ins.

  2. In the Manage dropdown, select COM Add-ins, and then click Go....

  3. Select Microsoft Power Pivot for Excel and click OK.

  4. You will now have a new menu option in Excel...