Product Description

Transform disparate enterprise data into actionable business intelligence

Put timely, mission-critical information in the hands of employees across your organization using Microsoft SQL Server 2005 and the comprehensive information in this unique resource. Delivering Business Intelligence with Microsoft SQL Server 2005 shows you, step-by-step, how to author, customize, and distribute information that will give your company the competitive edge. It’s all right here–from data mining, warehousing, and scripting techniques to MDX queries, KPI analysis, and the all-new Unified Dimensional Model. Real-world examples, start-to-finish exercises, and downloadable code throughout illustrate all of the integration, analysis, and reporting capabilities of SQL Server 2005.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #20422 in Books
• Published on: 2006-01-23
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 776 pages

From the Back Cover
Transform disparate enterprise data into actionable business intelligence

Put timely, mission-critical information in the hands of employees across your organization using Microsoft SQL Server 2005 and the comprehensive information in this unique resource. Delivering Business Intelligence with Microsoft SQL Server 2005 shows you, step-by-step, how to author, customize, and distribute information that will give your company the competitive edge. It’s all right here — from data mining, warehousing, and scripting techniques to MDX queries, KPI analysis, and the all-new Unified Dimensional Model. Real-world examples, start-to-finish exercises, and downloadable code throughout illustrate all of the integration, analysis, and reporting capabilities of SQL Server 2005.

ESSENTIAL SKILLS FOR DATABASE PROFESSIONALS

• Understand the goals and benefits of business intelligence
• Manage Analysis Services databases using BI Development Studio
• Improve performance and decrease latency using proactive caching
• Create interactive reports using SQL Server 2005 Reporting Services
• Enable ad hoc reporting using Report Models and Report Builder
• Integrate with applications using ADOMD.NET and the Report Viewer Control
• Design and create relational data marts and OLAP cubes
• Perform powerful data analysis using MDX queries and scripts
• Perform complex operations with Integration Services
• Uncover behavior patterns and proclivities using data mining

About the Author
Brian Larson is a Phi Beta Kappa graduate of Luther College in Decorah, Iowa, with degrees in Physics and Computer Science. He has 20 years of experience in the computer industry and 16 years of experience as a consultant creating custom database applications. Brian is currently Chief of Technology for Superior Consulting Services in Minneapolis, Minnesota, a Microsoft Consulting Partner for Reporting Services. He is a Microsoft Certified Solution Developer (MCSD) and a Microsoft Certified Database Administratior (MCDBA).

Brian served as a member of the Reporting Services development team as a consultant to Microsoft. In that role, he contributed to the original code base of Reporting Services.

Brian has presented seminars and provided training and mentoring on Reporting Services across the country. He is a contributor and columnist for SQL Server magazine and is currently writing the B.I. Powers column appearing on the SQL Server magazine website. In addition to this book, Brian is the author of Microsoft SQL Server 2005 Reporting Services, also from McGraw-Hill/Osborne.

Customer Reviews

A great walkthrough of the MS BI stack
Download the sample database. Sit down and fire up BIDS. Read and follow the directions. You’ll be a better person for it.

Well, you’ll know more about the Microsoft BI stack anyway. It’s a great way to get in and see every major (and most minor) feature of the stack.

Not As Useful If You Already Work In BI
I’ve already got experience with tools such as Cognos, ProClarity, Informatica and others. I bought this book to figure out how to use Microsoft’s BI tools.

The book really is a case study book where you are the business analyst, the data modeler, the systems analyst the ETL guy and the report developer. It is written with a “learn by doing” premise. If you haven’t done all of the business requirements exercises, data modeler tasks, etc… you won’t be able to do the Integration Services exercises or the MDX exercises in the book. In other words, you must 1) read the book in the order of its chapters and 2) do the exercises in the chapter order.

Additionally, many chapters are a review of the theory (like snowflake vs. star), business requirements gathering and why you have data marts stuff like that. If you already know how to do these things, or you know that you don’t have to take on that role, then you probably won’t find this book as useful.

Great candidate for a BI textbook!
I have chosen this book as a textbook for my graduate class in Business School, after sampling over a dozen BI textbooks in the market. This book is a good blend of BI concepts, managerial applications, as well as hands-on skills. Most of the other textbooks are either too dry or too technical. This book gives you an overview of BI components, processes, and applications in business world. The step-by-step learn-by-doing exercises are particularly helpful for students who might otherwise be intimidated by the technology. Supplimenting this book with another more conceptual/managerial type of BI book will be perfect for Business school students.