1. Let’s Build a Tabular Model in Azure
Analysis Services is in Azure? Seriously!? Let's build a model!
Phillip Labry

3. SQL Saturday #651 Thank you Sponsors! Event After Party
Please visit the sponsors and enter their end-of-day raffles.
Event After Party
“Main Event” bowling Magnolia, Webster TX 77598
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Houston area SQL Server users group meets the 2nd Tuesday of every month.
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4. Demo

5. Phillip Labry Sr. BI Consultant at Pragmatic Works
IT development for over 30 years
Developer, DBA, Business Intelligence
Experience with Manufacturing, Telecom, Banking, Retail, Government, Insurance, Healthcare, Consulting, Energy, Finance,Logistics
Blog:

6. Today’s scenario

7. Basic Terms
Measure
Numeric value that can be aggregated (Sales Amount)
Fact
Collection of fields mainly consisting of Measures
Dimension
Table of values that describes a fact (people, places, things)
Star Schema
Dimension tables radiating out from a related fact table
Snowflake Schema
Dimensions related to other dimensions
Aggregate
A mathematical summarization of measures
Attribute
Another name for Column(used in Dimensions)

8. What is Analysis Services?
Analytical database designed to be business facing
Optimized for aggregating huge data sets
Two engines: OLAP and Tabular

9. Benefits of Azure Analysis Services
Scale up, scale down and pause
No hardware required
Inherent redundancy
Explore data from anywhere
Use the tools you love and know
SSMS, SSDT, Power BI, Excel

10. Why Azure Analysis Services?
Upsize data from Power BI
Faster data refreshes
Adjust for peak workloads
New features quicker
Save on hardware costs, IT infrastructure

11. Model Types
In Memory
Direct Query

12. Supported data sources
On Premises
SQL Server
PDW / APS
Oracle
Teradata
Cloud
Azure SQL Database
Azure SQL Warehouse

13. BI Semantic Model: Vision (2012)
Data model
Business logic
and queries
Data access
ROLAP
MOLAP
xVelocity
Direct
Query
MDX
DAX
Multi-
dimensional
Tabular
Third-party
applications
Reporting
Services
Excel
PowerPivot
Databases
LOB Applications
Files
OData Feeds
Cloud Services
SharePoint
Insights
Power View

14. BI Semantic Model (Azure Analysis Services)

15. For Development DO NOT CHOOSE PRODUCTION SERVER FOR WORKSPACE
Use Developer Tier pricing(Developer does not scale up)
Remember to pause your machines

16. Dimensions Wide and shallow Describe facts Can contain hierarchies
Can contain calculated columns

17. Hierarchies Predefine common hierarchies for the users
Hierarchies are defined from largest group to smallest
Year
Quarter
Month
Hide columns used for hierarchies where appropriate

18. Fact Tables Deep and narrow Mostly measures(Numbers)
Keys to dimensions(Ints)
Natural repository for calculated measures

19. Calculated columns and Measures
Created in the model only
Calculated measures execute when called based on filter context
Calculated columns are created on data load and persist in memory

20. Requirements Azure account
Azure Active Directory Tenant(MS live accounts are not supported)
Directory integration between AAD and on premises AD is recommended but not required
Resource Group
Create a server

21. Demo

22. Features Perspectives  Multiple Partitions DirectQuery Storage mode
DEVELOPER
BASIC
STANDARD
Perspectives 
Multiple Partitions
DirectQuery Storage mode
Translations
Dax Calculations
Row-level Security
In-mem storage
Back up and restore

23. Current Pricing B1 40 10 $0.43 $319.92 B2 80 20 $0.86 $639.84
QPUS
MEMORY (GB)
Hourly Price
Monthly Price B1 40 10
$0.43
$319.92 B2 80 20
$0.86
$639.84
Developer 3
$0.13
$98.21

24. Current Pricing S0 40 10 $1.21 $900.24 S1 100 25 $2.03 $1,510.32 S2
QPUS
MEMORY (GB)
Hourly Price
Monthly Price S0 40 10
$1.21
$900.24 S1
100 25
$2.03
$1,510.32 S2
200 50
$4.06
$3,020.64 S4
400
$8.11
$6,033.84 S8
320
$10.38
$7,722.72 S9
640
$20.76
$15,445.44

25. Tips for development Clean table names on first import
Settle on column names before creating any calculated columns or measures
Flatten out snowflakes where possible
Avoid creating calculated columns for intermediate measures
Use views for source data
Use meaningful and verbose names
Use attribute properties and formatting

26. Current Azure Analysis Services challenges
Preview only
Backups
Limited source data
No Power BI connectivity

27. Additional resources
(DAX and Modeling)

28. Thank you
@PhillipLabry