Analysis Services for the Absolute Beginner Peter Shore SQL Saturday Cincinnati

Agenda Introduction What is Analysis Services? Some History About the session About the speaker What is Analysis Services? Some History How do I use Analysis Services?

About The Session Abstract: Publications across the globe have called “data the new oil.” However, the value of oil is what the oil can be turned into. Similarly, the value in data is in what you derive from it, not the data itself.   Regardless of the title you carry, DBA, developer, report writer, ETL developer, manager etc., now is the time to make an acquaintance of Analysis Services. Come, join in as we define basic terms, investigate a few uses cases and see some simple examples. You will soon see that if data is the new oil, Analysis Services, on-premises or in the cloud, is a key component in the new refinery.

Specialize in remote database administration, operating system, and enterprise application support services 24x7, 100% onshore support across all major database platforms including SQL Server, MySQL, PostgreSQL, Oracle, Oracle Applications, and DB2 Full suite of Microsoft Business Intelligence and Database Activity Monitoring services available Currently support hundreds of customers and thousands of databases daily www.rdx.com

About Me SQL Server Database Administrator - RDX Intentionally Accidental DBA Over 20 years IT experience Server Engineer Desktop Engineer Network Infrastructure Desk side support President CBusPASS Member Multiple Virtual Chapters How to find me Twitter: @pshore73 E-mail: pshore73@outlook.com

What is Analysis Services? What Microsoft says* Analysis Services is an analytical data engine used in decision support and business analytics. Provides Enterprise Grade Semantic Models For business reports For client applications For Excel, Power BI, Reporting Services, other visualization applications Analysis Services Available in two platforms Azure Analysis Services SQL Server Analysis Services *https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/sql/analysis-services/analysis-services

What is Analysis Services? Simple Easily understood Jargon free Party time!

What is Analysis Services? What Peter says: Analysis Services is an abstraction layer Abstraction layer is a method of hiding implementation details Abstraction layer allows facilitation of interoperability* Oracle MySQL CosmosDB Hadoop/Hive Active Directory SAP Hana JSON *https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/analysis-services/analysis-services-datasource

What is Analysis Services? What Peter says: Analysis Services is a caching layer Cache = “Hardware or software layer that stores data, so future requests can be served faster” Accelerates “clicky clicky draggy draggy” reporting (think PowerBI) Simplified Management Point Security all in the semantic model Consistent connectivity point IT Governance of democratized BI

Some History SQL Server 7.0 SQL Server 2000 OLAP Services Introduced On-Line Analysis Processing Introduces two new technologies OLE DB for OLAP Multidimensional Expression (MDX) Microsoft begins a journey of democratized BI SQL Server 2000 Name changed to Analysis Services Richer Dimensions Richer Cube Definition Market Leader

Some History SQL Server 2005/Analysis Services 2005 Enterprise class OLAP features Enterprise class Data mining Increase increasingly sophisticated problems Feature Rich Scalable Higher performing Unified Dimensional Model (UDM) Cubes Dimensions Foundation of the BI Stack PivotTables, PivotCharts, PerformancePoint Services, SSRS

Some History SQL Server 2008R2/Analysis Services 2008R2 Non-Traditional data sources Odata Feeds Spreadsheets Text Files PowerPivot Data Analysis Expressions (DAX) SQL Server 2012 Brings together Multidimensional & Tabular models Self service, team and enterprise BI Solutions

Terms Democratized BI OLAP Multidimensional Expression (MDX) Extending access to business intelligence to a greater number of people Outside of IT Not necessarily data specialists Domain Experts Stress data governance OLAP An approach to swiftly answering multidimensional analytical queries Multidimensional Expression (MDX) Query language of OLAP cubes Calculation language Syntax similar to spreadsheet formulas

Terms Model Cube aka OLAP Cube Dimensions Logical inter-relationship and data flow between different data elements Cube aka OLAP Cube Method of storing data in a multidimensional forum Data (measures) are categorized by dimensions Dimensions Structure that categorizes facts and measures Provide structured labeling information

Terms Facts Measures Odata Feed Single record Represents a transaction Lowest level of granularity Composed of dimension keys and measures Measures Property on which calculations can be made Odata Feed Open Data Protocol Allow consumption of data from queryable REST APIs

BI Semantic Model

BI Semantic Model

BI Semantic Model Data Model Tabular Model Multidimensional Model Developed in Excel or SQL Server Data Tools (SSDT) Tables, Columns, Relationships Can be developed tabular but consumed multidimensional Exposes a multidimensional (cube) interface Multidimensional Model Developed in SSDT Made up of dimensions and measures

BI Semantic Model Business Logic/Queries DAX MDX Introduced in PowerPivot with SQL Server 2008R2 Included in SSAS in SQL Server 2012 Designed for tabular models Based on Excel formulas Eventually to be used against multidimensional MDX Calculation and query language Multidimensional Can be used against tabular models

BI Semantic Model Data Access MOLAP ROLAP xVelocity Storage Engine Multidimensional OLAP Not in the relational database, rather in proprietary formats ROLAP Relational OLAP Large amounts of data Can be slow, limited by SQL xVelocity Storage Engine VertiPaq In –memory and memory optimized storage engine Same engine generates column store indexes

Analysis Services Database Collection of Data sources Data source views Cubes Dimensions Roles Optionally includes Structures for data mining Custom libraries

Multi dimensional Model High performance queries against business data Cubes Relate measures and dimensions Measure A fact that is a transactional value or measurement a user may want to aggregate Sales Amount Sales Price Dimension Group of attributes that represent an area of interest related to the measures Customer Location SQL Server 2000 and later

Tabular Model Run in-memory or Direct Query Accesses data directly from backend resources Accessed as if Multidimensional Uses DAX & MDX SQL Server 2012 and later

Tabular vs. Multidimensional   Multidimensional Tabular Actions Yes No Aggregations Calculated Column Calculated Measures Calculated Tables Custom Assemblies Custom Rollups Default Member Display folders Distinct Count Yes (via DAX) Drillthrough Yes (depends on client application) Hierarchies KPIs

Tabular vs. Multidimensional Linked objects Yes Yes (linked tables) M expressions No Many-to-many relationships No (but there is bi-directional cross filters at 1200 and higher compatibility levels) Named sets Ragged Hierarchies Parent-child Hierarchies Yes (via DAX) Partitions Perspectives Row-level Security Object-level Security Semi-additive Measures Translations User-defined Hierarchies Writeback

Sources – Multidimensional Access databases SQL Server relational databases Oracle relational databases Teradata relational databases Informix relational databases IBM DB2 relational databases Sybase Adaptive Server Enterprise (ASE) relational databases Other relational databases Text files Microsoft Excel files Power Pivot workbook Analysis Services cube Data feeds Office Database Connection files

Sources – Multidimensional Direct Query Microsoft SQL Server Microsoft Azure SQL Database Microsoft Azure SQL Data Warehouse Microsoft SQL Analytics Platform System (APS) Oracle relational databases Teradata relational databases

Sources – Tabular Access databases SQL Server relational databases Oracle relational databases Teradata relational databases Informix relational databases IBM DB2 relational databases Sybase Adaptive Server Enterprise (ASE) relational databases Other relational databases Text files Microsoft Excel files Power Pivot workbook Analysis Services cube Data feeds Office Database Connection files

Sources – Tabular Direct Query Access databases SQL Server relational databases Oracle relational databases Teradata relational databases Informix relational databases IBM DB2 relational databases Sybase Adaptive Server Enterprise (ASE) relational databases Microsoft SQL Server Microsoft Azure SQL Database Microsoft Azure SQL Data Warehouse Microsoft SQL Analytics Platform System (APS)

Links BI Semantic Model Multidimensional vs. Tabular Designing a Cube https://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/jj735264.aspx Multidimensional vs. Tabular https://www.mssqltips.com/sqlservertip/4154/tabular-vs-multidimensional- models-for-sql-server-analysis-services/ Designing a Cube https://www.mssqltips.com/sqlservertutorial/2005/designing-a-cube/