deck from SQLLive 360 - Orlando,

1. Real-Wor ld SQL Ser ver 2012
Analysis Ser vices BISM
models
Lynn Langit
Data Wrangler
Level: Intermediate

2. Agenda – About the BI Semantic Model

3. Better BI => Better Reporting

4. Better BI => New Storage/Query/Display

5. What is the BISM?

6. SQL Server Analysis Services Modes
• UDM (Multidimensional / Data Mining)
– Also called OLAP cubes
• BISM (Tabular)
– Business Intelligence Semantic Model
• PowerPivot for SharePoint

7. Why Use BISM?
• Quick and simple to set up (flexible model)
– Fast – in memory by default w/Vertipaq
– Connects to many types of data - flexible
– Overcomes the limits of PowerPivot
– Granular (role-based) security model
• Integrates with PowerView (data source in SPS)

8. How to get started with xVelocity

9. Data Sources for BISM

10. External Data - Markets
• Windows Azure Marketplace
• DataMarket.com
• Factual.com
• Freebase.com

11. When to use the BISM?

12. How to Create / View models for BISM?
• Design in SSDT (or import from PowerPivot)
• Open in Excel, SharePoint or PowerView
• Can be used as data sources for SSRS in
SharePoint….

13. Demo
Creating a Model
in Power Pivot

14. Parts of BISM
• Tabular Model Project in SSDT
• New or Import
• BISM – new or from PowerPivot via Excel
• Workspace Database (in memory by default)
• Views in BISM
• Data & Calculation
• Diagram
• Toolbars—create KPI, etc…
• Perspectives are supported as well

15. Demo
Enhancing the model

16. Enhancing Models
• Sort or Filter Table data
• Add Relationships
(diagram view)
• Add Hierarchies (diagram
view)
• Adding Calculated
Columns via DAX
• Adding Measures and
KPIs via DAX
• Improving Usability for
clients

17. Diagram View of BISM in SSDT
• Manage Relationships
• Create Hierarchies

18. What is DAX - Data Analysis Expressions
• Data-expression Query Language (Excel-like
simplified version of MDX
• Over 170 functions (64 functions for aggregation)
• Ability to reference data in other tables in the model
(sumx, averagex, related [many-to-one], relatedtable
[one-to-many] etc…)

19. When to Use DAX with BISM modeling

20. How to use DAX with BISM modeling
• Define formula & Add to model
• DAX query language & query plans in 2012
– Uses ‘Evaluate’
• Samples
– = SalesTable [SalesTotalColumn] – SalesTable [SalesCostColumn]
– = FORMAT (SalesTable [SalesDate], “MMM”)
– = RELATED (DimCustomerSales[SalesAmount]) – RELATED
(DimCustomerCosts[SalesCost])
Relationship must be defined between tables when using RELATED

21. Enhancing the Model – Advanced View

22. Enhancing the Model – Advanced View 2
• Set the Table Behavior
– Row ID
– Uniqueness
– Default Label
– Default Image

23. Tips for creating usable models
• Create Hierarchies
• Hide unneeded columns from client tools
• Rename columns to natural language
• Add relations or Add perspectives
• Format data in the model, i.e. percentages…
• Use DAX to remove nulls / errors
• Use a TimeTable
– Can use ‘mark as date table’
– Cam create a separate date table

24. Complex DAX example

25. Understanding DAX in Profiler

26. Demo
Adding DAX
to a BISM model

27. Creating BI projects using SSDT

28. BISM Models and Excel
• Can be created in Excel (and imported into SSDT)
• Can be viewed in Excel (PivotTables) while modeling
in SSDT

29. Demo
Creating a BISM Model for
SSAS using
SQL Server Data Tools
(SSDT)

30. BISM Normalizer = DiffTool for BISM
3rd party tool, from CodePlex - here

31. Adding Security Roles
• Map groups to BISM roles

32. Understanding BISM structures

33. Deployment of BISM in SSDT to SSAS
• Query Mode default is ‘In-Memory’
• Default Cube Name is Model.bim

34. About Query Modes
• InMemory is the default
• Query Mode (SSDT) / Direct Query Mode (SSMS)
• Direct Query mode can use Columnstore indexes
• Direct Query mode supports only a single data source
• Not all DAX functions work in Direct Query mode

35. SSAS Server Settings for Tabular Mode

36. Demo
Deploying a BISM
Model to SSAS
using SSDT

37. Connecting to a deployed BISM model
• Administration in
SSMS
• View in Client
– Excel / PowerPivot
– SharePoint PowerView
– Other clients

38. Connect in SSMS

39. DAX or MDX?
• MDX issuing clients (Excel) can
– talk to both multidimensional models and tabular models running in
VertiPaq (in-memory) mode
• MDX cannot
– be used to talk to DirectQuery models
• DAX issuing clients (Power View) can
– talk to tabular models (both kinds - VertiPaq and DirectQuery)
• DAX cannot
– be used to talk to multidimensional models. This functionality is on the
roadmap, but will not be present at RTM

40. Updating the data
• Can update subsets using partitions
• Can monitor update process via Profiler

41. Monitoring Resource Usage
• Can use Profiler
• Extended Events for monitoring
• Can use DMVs
• SSAS Operations Guide

42. Tips, Tricks & Gotchas
• Installation
• SSAS in either Tabular –or- UDM mode
• Needs prerequisites
• Development
• One BISM model per project
• Prefer DAX, not MDX
• Try it out in Excel while developing in SSDT
• Deployment
• Use partitions for granular updating
• Monitor via Profiler – plan for up to ½ data size
in server memory

43. Other Tools
• Cmdlets on CodePlex – here
• Klout case study whitepaper - here
• DAX studio/ intellisense - here

44. What about the UDM?
• UDM / Data Mining is fully supported in SSAS
• Must be installed in this mode
– Mutually exclusive to Tabular mode
• But, should you use it anymore?

46. Resources
• SSAS Team Blog – here
• About DAX – MVP blog – here
• SQL 2012 tutorial - here
• Codeplex samples – here
• Klout case study whitepaper - here

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48. Toward Data Craftsmanship…