I will start off by saying, whenever I see the names Marco Russo, Alberto Ferrari and Chris Webb on a SQL Server Analysis Services book....I know it will good. This book is no exception! I can say with 100% honesty that this is one of the best technical books I've read.
I work with SQL Server 2012 and am eager to learn more about the tabular model. When I saw this book on Amazon, I bought it immediately and am so grateful that I did. I have many technical books that sit on shelves collecting dust; this book is definitely not one of them. After only a few weeks the book is already showing wear from use and I haven't put it on the shelf yet. I have read it cover-to-cover and plan to do so again - it is truly that good.
There are so many great aspects to this book I don't know where to begin. I can say that it does an excellent job not only covering the basics but also many advanced topics as well.
A few of my favorite topics/chapters are listed below:
◾The chapters on DAX are especially helpful, they provide an excellent overview of the language including advanced topics that I haven't found in other sources. The book also contains a chapter on DAX time intelligence functions which I found quite useful.
◾The `Building Hierarchies' chapter is excellent as well. It goes beyond the basics, covering more complex scenarios such as parent/child hierarchies and unary operators.
◾The chapter `Data Modeling in Tabular' provides a very thorough overview of common dimensional modeling topics (Type 1 and Type 2 SCDs, degenerate dimensions, junk dimensions and snapshot fact tables) and implementation best practices in the tabular model.
◾`Using Advanced Tabular Relationships' is my favorite chapter. This chapter provides examples using the DAX language to implement more complex scenarios/relationships. A few topics covered are Multicolumn Relationships (in a tabular cube a relationship can be set with one column only, but the authors provide examples that work around this limitation), Banding (grouping attribute values), Many-to-Many relationships, Basket Analysis and Currency Conversion.
◾The chapters on Security and Deployment/Processing are also well-written and very thorough. They cover many scenarios in detail.
The authors do a great job comparing the Multidimensional and Tabular technologies; They discuss the pros and cons of both models as well as reasons you may choose one over the other. In addition, the authors often demonstrate multiple ways to solve a given problem and discuss the advantages/disadvantages of each implementation. They provide excellent overviews of performance analysis and troubleshooting and warn the readers of things to avoid.
I highly recommend this book to anyone who wants to expand their knowledge of the SQL Server Analysis Services 2012 tabular model. This book will not disappoint. It is a worthwhile addition to any MS Business Intelligence practitioners library.
To those who've worked with SQL Server Analysis Services, Marco, Chris and Alberto are familiar names synonymous with deep expertise and understanding of the product and how to best use it. This book adds another volume to their collective library of knowledge sharing on this topic they know perhaps better than anyone else.
This book is an excellent comprehensive tutorial and reference for the architecture of SSAS Tabular models, and incorporates the standard far of real-world best practices its authors are well known for.
For anyone looking to accelerate their learning curve on DAX, SSAS Tabular design and the best way to apply these technologies, this is a "must have" reference!
If you do Microsoft Business Intelligence beyond simple reporting, this book is a must buy.
The authors clearly explain how the new version of Analysis Services fits in the Microsoft BI family of products.
Now that's a big achievement because that tool (and advanced analysis) are not easily understood.
However Marco, Alberto and Chris are both master communicators and masters of the technology.
In addition, you will begin to understand the world of database/data analysis beyond the relational database.
In our world of big data warehouses, tools beyond the relation database are a must.
Having been a Microsoft Partner Consultant, BI Architect and chairman of a Microsoft BI User's Group, I'm keenly aware of how difficult it is to communicate these advanced concepts--and to turn them into practical solutions.
The return on your time for using this book will be several orders of magnitude, and the sooner you start, the bigger the return.
Heartfelt thanks to the authors for helping all of us in the Microsoft BI World see more clearly and create better solutions!
If you landed on this Amazon web page, it's likely that you had some interest in SSAS 2012 books on the Tabular Model. If that's the case, order this book and I assure you - not only won't be disappointed, you'll be happy you did.
This is an outstanding book. In the past I've seen some books (even decent books) that purport to cover one technology, but wind up covering so many other peripheral topics that the book loses sight of the original goal. This one doesn't - the content focuses precisely on the title: the BISM Tabular Model.
There are many little gems in here: from a small section on Kerberos (that helped me to understand something), to intricacies in DAX formulas, to recommendations on hierarchies, to implementing dynamic security. In addition to many complete chapters on the tabular model, here are some additional great chapters:
- The DAX chapters might even rival entire books on DAX. The authors managed to pack many examples into 2 chapters.
- The authors clearly communicate feature comparisons between the Tabular Model and the multidimensional model, and also which tabular features will work optimally (and which won't) when using the Tabular Model in PowerView.
- The chapter on security is excellent and covers several scenarios.
- The authors have a chapter towards the end on using XMLA to process Tabular Models. While I already knew most of this, I'm so glad to see authors covering this. Guys, thank you, THANK YOU.
- The authors cover advanced relationships, and show some examples of DAX formulas that you'll need to supplement bridge table scenarios. While the tabular model (in my opinion) doesn't handle many-to-many scenarios quite as gracefully as SSAS multidimensional, the authors show how you can implement equivalent functionality.
Also, SSAS multi-dimensional developers will appreciate the many comparisons between the MDM and the tabular model. This is a complete book by authors who have already developed a reputation for delivering strong content.
(And by the way, if you didn't already know it, these authors wrote "Expert Cube Development with Microsoft SQL Server 2008 Analysis Services" a few years ago, an equally outstanding book on the "standard" multidimensional model.
Guys, fantastic job. No book can cover EVERYTHING, but you guys came very close. It's hard to believe someone could improve on what you did with the Expert Cube Development book (which was awesome and helped me greatly), but you seem to have done it.
Product Details :
Paperback: 656 pages
Publisher: Microsoft Press; 1 edition (July 26, 2012)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0735658188
ISBN-13: 978-0735658189
Product Dimensions: 7.4 x 1.3 x 9 inches
More Details about Microsoft® SQL Server® 2012 Analysis Services: The BISM Tabular Model 1st edition
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Download Microsoft® SQL Server® 2012 Analysis Services: The BISM Tabular Model 1st edition PDF Ebook
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