1. Power BI – Exploring New Frontiers

2. Power BI – Exploring New Frontiers
Introduction
Getting Started
Desktop Version
Online Version
Lets build a Visualization

3. Introduction What is Power BI? What it isn’t Where can it be used?
Microsoft’s Interactive Data Visualization BI Tools
What it isn’t
It is not a true report tool
Where can it be used?
Standalone dashboard
Attachment to 2016 Reporting Services

4. Getting Started Ways of accessing Power BI Desktop Version
Local copy – totally free
Requires a download
Allows source control
Others can make changes locally as well
Can be published to the Online Version
Online Version
Requires a business domain to access
Data access requires potential set up

5. Desktop Version Requires a local download
There are at a minimum, monthly updates
Improvements have been fast and furious
Download often

6. Desktop Version Download site states: Transform and clean data
Getting your data ready to analyze can be time-consuming. We’re on a mission to make it much simpler. Try the data shaping and modeling capabilities of Power BI Desktop and take back hours in your busy day.
Complete analytics life-cycle
The Power BI Desktop is an elegant end-to-end solution for building analytics. The Desktop has all the capabilities to quickly connect, shape, visualize, and share data insights through Power BI.
Design once, view anywhere
We know you need to get data into the hands of decision makers when and where they need it. Power BI makes publishing and sharing your beautiful interactive reports easy.

7. Desktop Version A local copy is created
The extension is .pbix
Data can be encapsulated with the copy and “passed along” to others
Storing the copy in a source control system allows the benefits of source control
Currently, source control is not native to Power BI
With a company , you can create a Power BI “site”
First person with company domain creates the site
Site can be managed through Office 365 – add members
Upgrade to Pro costs 9.95 per month once billing starts

8. Online Version If accessing local data Gateways
Unless a Gateway is established, data must be uploaded to the site
This can be time consuming
This is what nixed our first attempt to work with Power BI
Gateways
Acts as a bridge, providing quick and secure data transfer between the Power BI service and on-premises data sources that support refreshes
Only available with Power BI Pro (9.95 per month)
Personal gateway -
Enterprise gateway -
Allows deployment and management of central gateways to serve large groups of users

9. Lets build a Visualization
Load Power BI Desktop
Left Navigation
Visualization tab
Data tab
Data Source tab
Right Navigation
Visualizations / Filters
Fields

10. First Step – Data Source
Large variety of data sources
Excel
SQL Server
Analysis Services
CSV
Web
OData Feed
Blank Query
More ….
Mix and match data sources
Set relationships between sources

11. Next Step – Model Data Rename columns for friendlier presentation
Define how the data will look when displayed
Data type
Format
Define data categorization
Define how / if to aggregate
Add Columns and Measures
Columns usually are not numeric
Measures are numeric and have context
DAX is the language used for these additions

12. Finally - Visualization
We can select the type of visualization we want
We can define the visualization with the right nav
Select columns to be displayed
Define axis, legend, values, color saturation and so much more
Define filters to be applied
Using color brush we can define even more
We can select columns and measures with fields from the right nav

13. Custom Visualizations
Microsoft is allowing the community to expand the visualizations available :
Some of these are available for download and import
These are not supported by the Microsoft Power BI Team
Each time you enter a solution using them they need to be enabled
Each new use requires an import into the current solution
SandDance
Demo
Quick look

14. Bibliography Desktop version Personal gateway Enterprise gateway
Personal gateway
Enterprise gateway
Custom Visualizations
SandDance
Demo:
Info:

15. Contact Information
You can reach me at:
@pamshaw (twitter)
User group web site
Hillsborough.sqlpass.org