Knowledge is power! As its name suggests, the promise of Microsoft SQL Server Analysis Services 2005 is to promote better data analytics by giving information workers the right tool to analyze consistent, timely, and reliable data. Empowered with Analysis Services and Microsoft Business Intelligence Platform, you are well positioned to solve the perennial problem with data--that there is too much of it and finding the right information is often difficult, if not impossible. Applied Micrisoft Analysis Services 2005 shows database administrators and developers how to build complete OLAP solutions with Microsoft Analysis Services 2005 and Microsoft Business Intelligence Platform. Database administrators will learn how to design and manage sophisticated OLAP cubes that provide rich data analytics and data mining services. The book gives developers the necessary background to extend UDM with custom programming logic, in the form of MDX expressions, scripts and .NET code. It teaches them how to implement a wide range of reporting applications that integrate with Analysis Services, Reporting Services, and Microsoft Office. This book doesn't assume any prior experience with OLAP and Microsoft Analysis Services. It is designed as an easy-to-follow guide where each chapter builds upon the previous to implement the components of the innovative Unified Dimensional Model (UDM) in a chronological order. New concepts are introduced with step-by-step instructions and hands-on demos. What's Inside: o Design sophisticated UDM models o Build ETL processes with SSIS o Implement data mining tasks o Enrich UDM programmatically with MDX o Extend UDM with SSAS stored procedures o Create rich end-user model o Optimize Analysis Services storage and processing o Implement dynamic security o Build custom OLAP clients o Author standard and ad-hoc reports with SSRS o Build Office-based BI applications and dashboards o and much more

Provides information on the features and functions of Reporting Services to turn enterprise data into a variety of reports.

Design, Build, and Manage High-Value BI Solutions with SQL Server 2005 In this book, two of Microsoft’s leading consultants illustrate how to use SQL Server 2005 Business Intelligence (BI) technologies to solve real-world problems in markets ranging from retail and finance to healthcare. Drawing on extensive personal experience with Microsoft’s strategic customers, John C. Hancock and Roger Toren offer unprecedented insight into BI systems design and step-by-step best practices for implementation, deployment, and management. Hancock and Toren introduce practical BI concepts and terminology and provide a concise primer on the Microsoft BI platform. Next, they turn to the heart of the book–constructing solutions. Each chapter-length case study begins with the customer’s business goals, and then guides you through detailed data modeling. The case studies show how to avoid the pitfalls that derail many BI projects. You’ll translate each model into a working system and learn how to deploy it into production, maintenance, and efficient operation. Whether you’re a decision-maker, architect, developer, or DBA, this book brings together all the knowledge you’ll need to derive maximum business value from any BI project. • Leverage SQL Server 2005 databases, Integration Services, Analysis Services, and Reporting Services • Build data warehouses and extend them to support very large databases • Design effective Analysis Services databases • Ensure the superior data quality your BI system needs • Construct advanced enterprise scorecard applications • Use data mining to segment customers, cross-sell, and increase the value of each transaction • Design real-time BI applications • Get hands-on practice with SQL Server 2005’s BI toolset

Microsoft PerformancePoint provides you with an integrated performance management application that enables you to better plan, analyze and monitor how your business is doing. It gives decision-makers in your company more control. Microsoft PerformancePoint 2007 For Dummies® shows you how to utilize this powerful tool so you can gain insights, monitor results, and resolve business problems. Even if it’s your first look at a business performance management system, you’ll find this handy guide makes you look like a pro! You’ll find out how to set goals, create plans to get you there, and produce reports to track your progress. You’ll also discover how to: Develop a plan and set goals to drive performance and accelerate business decision-making Configure security features to protect your information Navigate the reporting interface to quickly find the data that will help you make the right decisions Use different data source types Create key performance indicators to find out how your business is really doing Work with dashboards and scorecards to quickly view business-critical information Get the most out of Microsoft Office PerformancePoint so you can dramatically enhance your performance management. With Microsoft PerformancePoint 2007 For Dummies, you’ll find out how as you keep your business activities in line with corporate strategies.

When used with the MDX query language, SQL Server Analysis Services allows developers to build full-scale database applications to support such business functions as budgeting, forecasting, and market analysis. Shows readers how to build data warehouses and multi-dimensional databases, query databases, and use Analysis Services and other components of SQL Server to provide end-to-end solutions Revised, updated, and enhanced, the book discusses new features such as improved integration with Office and Excel 2007; query performance enhancements; improvements to aggregation designer, dimension designer, cube and dimension wizards, and cell writeback; extensibility and personalization; data mining; and more

Leverage the integration of SQL Server and Office for more effective BI Applied Microsoft Business Intelligence shows you how to leverage the complete set of Microsoft tools—including Microsoft Office and SQL Server—to better analyze business data. This book provides best practices for building complete BI solutions using the full Microsoft toolset. You will learn how to effectively use SQL Server Analysis and Reporting Services, along with Excel, SharePoint, and other tools to provide effective and cohesive solutions for the enterprise. Coverage includes BI architecture, data queries, semantic models, multidimensional modeling, data analysis and visualization, performance monitoring, data mining, and more, to help you learn to perform practical business analysis and reporting. Written by an author team that includes a key member of the BI product team at Microsoft, this useful reference provides expert instruction for more effective use of the Microsoft BI toolset. Use Microsoft BI suite cohesively for more effective enterprise solutions Search, analyze, and visualize data more efficiently and completely Develop flexible and scalable tabular and multidimensional models Monitor performance, build a BI portal, and deploy and manage the BI Solution

Design and implement fast, scalable and maintainable cubes with Microsoft SQL Server 2008 Analysis Services with this book and eBook