Analysis Services in SQL 2008
This 4 day course focuses on teaching IT professionals the skills and best practices required to successfully build, operate, and deploy an analytical solution using SQL Server 2008 Analysis Services. SQL Server 2008 Analysis Services (SSAS) enables IT Professionals to rapidly build and deploy powerful analytical solutions that enable business users to analyze business data and achieve competitive advantage. SSAS enables rapid application development, increases performance and functionality, and reduces the costs and complexity of operation.
The case study provides the students with a real world scenario via a set of requirements. The student must design and implement their solution based on the requirements. This gives the student the ability to exercise the skills they learned during the class in a real world situation.
Prerequisites:
Before attending this course, students must have:
• Conceptual understanding of OLAP solutions.
• Experience navigating the Microsoft Windows Server environment.
• Experience with Windows services (starting and stopping).
• Experience creating service accounts and permissions.
• Exposure to Visual Studio.
• Experience with Microsoft SQL Server, including:
• SQL Server Agent.
• SQL Server query language (SELECT, UPDATE, INSERT, and DELETE).
• SQL Server System tables.
• SQL Server accounts (users and permissions).
In addition, it is recommended, but not required that students have completed:
Audience:
The primary audience for this course is individuals who need to design and maintain business intelligence solution for their organization. These individuals work in environments where databases play a key role in their primary job and may perform database administration and maintenance as part of their primary job responsibilities.
The primary audience for this course is individuals who need to design and maintain business intelligence solution for their organization. These individuals work in environments where databases play a key role in their primary job and may perform database administration and maintenance as part of their primary job responsibilities.
The secondary audience for this course is individual who develop applications that deliver content from SQL Server Analysis Services to the organization.
Topics Covered:
Introduction to Microsoft SQL Server 2008 Analysis Services
Creating Multidimensional Analysis Solution
Working with Dimensions
Working with Measures and Measure Groups
Querying Multidimensional Analysis Solutions
Customizing Cube Functionality
Maintaining a Multidimensional Solution
Introduction to Data Mining
Analysis Service Case Study
Course Outline:
Module 1: Introduction to Microsoft SQL Server 2008 Analysis Services
This module introduces common analysis scenarios and describes how Analysis Services provides a powerful platform for multidimensional OLAP solutions and data mining solutions. The module then describes the main considerations for installing Analysis Services.
Lessons
Overview of Data Analysis Solutions
Overview of SQL Server 2008 Analysis Services
Installing SQL Server 2008 Analysis Services
After completing this module, students will be able to:
Describe data analysis solutions.
Describe the key features of SQL Server 2008 Analysis Services.
Install SQL Server 2008 Analysis Services.
Module 2: Creating Multidimensional Analysis Solutions
This module introduces the development tools you can use to create an Analysis Services multidimensional analysis solution, and describes how to create data sources, data source views, and cubes.
Lessons
Developing Analysis Services Solutions
Data Sources and Data Source Views
Creating a Cube
Lab 2: Creating a Multidimensional Analysis Solution
Exercise 1: Creating a Data Source
Exercise 2: Creating and Modifying a Data Source View
Exercise 3: Creating and Modifying a Cube
After completing this module, students will be able to:
Develop Analysis Services solutions.
Create a data source and a data source view.
Create a cube.
Module 3: Working with Dimensions
This module describes how to edit dimensions and to configure dimensions, attributes, and hierarchies.
Lessons
Configuring Dimensions
Defining Attribute Hierarchies
Sorting and Grouping Attributes
Lab 3: Defining Dimensions
Exercise 1: Configuring Dimensions
Exercise 2: Defining Relationships and Hierarchies
Exercise 3: Sorting and Grouping Dimension Attributes
After completing this module, students will be able to:
Configure dimensions.
Define hierarchies.
Sort and group attributes.
Module 4: Working with Measures and Measure Groups
This module explains how to edit and configure measures and measure groups.
Lessons
Working with Measures
Working with Measure Groups
Lab 4: Configuring Measures and Measure Groups
Exercise 1: Configuring Measures
Exercise 2: Defining Dimension Usage and Relationships
Exercise 3: Configuring Measure Group Storage
After completing this module, students will be able to:
Work with measures.
Work with measure groups.
Module 5: Querying Multidimensional Analysis Solutions
This module introduces multidimensional expressions (MDX) and describes how to implement calculated members and named sets in an Analysis Services cube.
Lessons
MDX Fundamentals
Adding Calculations to a Cube
Lab 5: Querying a Cube
Exercise 1: Querying a Cube by Using MDX
Exercise 2: Creating a Calculated Member
Exercise 3: Defining a Named Set
After completing this module, students will be able to:
Describe Multidimensional Expression (MDX) fundamentals.
Add calculations to a cube.
Module 6: Customizing Cube Functionality
This module explains how to customize a cube by implementing key performance indicators (KPIs), actions, perspectives, and translations.
Lessons
Implementing Key Performance Indicators
Implementing Actions
Implementing Perspectives
Implementing Translations
Lab 6: Customizing a Cube
Exercise 1: Implementing a KPI
Exercise 2: Implementing an Action
Exercise 3: Implementing a Perspective
Exercise 4: Implementing a Translation
After completing this module, students will be able to:
Implement Key Performance Indicators (KPIs).
Implement actions.
Implement perspectives.
Implement translations.
Module 7: Deploying and Securing an Analysis Services Database
This module describes how to deploy an Analysis Services database to a production server, and how to implement security in an Analysis Services multidimensional solution.
Lessons
Deploying an Analysis Services Database
Securing an Analysis Services Database
Lab 7: Deploying and Securing an Analysis Services Database•
Exercise 1: Deploying an Analysis Services Database
Exercise 2: Securing an Analysis Services Database
After completing this module, students will be able to:
Deploy an Analysis Services database.
Secure an Analysis Services database.
Module 8: Maintaining a Multidimensional Solution
This module discusses the maintenance tasks associated with an Analysis Services solution, and describes how administrators can use the Analysis Services management tools to perform them.
Lessons
Configuring Processing Settings
Logging, Monitoring, and Optimizing an Analysis Services Solution
Backing Up and Restoring an Analysis Services Database
Lab 8: Maintaining an Analysis Services Database
Exercise 1: Configuring Processing
Exercise 2: Implementing Logging and Monitoring
Exercise 3: Backing Up and Restoring an Analysis Services Database
After completing this module, students will be able to:
Configure processing settings.
Log, monitor, and optimize an Analysis Services solution.
Backup and restore an Analysis Services database.
Module 9: Introduction to Data Mining
This module introduces data mining, and describes how to implement data mining structures and models. It then explains how to validate data model accuracy.
Lessons
Overview of Data Mining
Creating a Data Mining Solution
Validating Data Mining Models
Lab 9: Implementing Data Mining
Exercise 1: Creating a Data Mining Structure
Exercise 2: Adding a Data Mining Model
Exercise 3: Exploring Data Mining Models
Exercise 4: Validating Data Mining Models
After completing this module, students will be able to:
Describe data mining.
Create a data mining solution.
Validate data mining models.
Module 10: Analysis Service Case Study
This module provides the student the opportunity to build their first OLAP database solely based on user requirements. The student will have an opportunity to exercise the skills learned during the class.
After completing this module, students will be able to:
Design and create an OLAP database based on user requirements.
Enhance the OLAP metadata to make it user friendly.
Deploy the OLAP database into a production environment.
Validate the cube structure using browser tools.
Exams:
70-448: Microsoft SQL Server 2008, Business Intelligence Development and Maintenance
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