Module 1: Introduction to Business Intelligence and Data Modeling
As a SQL Server database professional, you may be required to participate in, or perhaps even lead, a project with the aim of implementing an effective enterprise BI solution. Therefore, it is important that you have a good understanding of the various elements that comprise a BI solution, the business and IT personnel typically involved in a BI project, and the Microsoft products that you can use to implement the solution.

Lessons

    Elements of an Enterprise BI Solution
    The Microsoft Enterprise BI Platform
    Planning an Enterprise BI Project

Lab: Exploring a BI Solution

    Exploring the Data Warehouse
    Exploring the Analysis Services Data Model
    Exploring Reports

After completing this module, you will be able to:

    Describe the elements of a typical BI solution.
    Select appropriate Microsoft technologies for a BI solution.
    Describe key considerations for planning a BI project.

Module 2: Creating Multidimensional Databases
This module provides an introduction to multidimensional databases and introduces the core components of an Online Analytical Processing (OLAP) cube.

Lessons

    Introduction to Multidimensional Analysis
    Creating Data Sources and Data Source Views
    Creating a Cube
    Overview of Cube Security

Lab: Creating a Multidimensional Database

    Creating a Data Source
    Creating and Modifying a Data Source View
    Creating and Modifying a Cube
    Adding a Dimension

After completing this module, you will be able to:

    Describe the considerations for a multidimensional database
    Create data sources and data source views
    Create a cube
    Implement security in a multidimensional database

Module 3: Working with Cubes and Dimensions
This module describes how to create and configure dimensions and dimension hierarchies in an Analysis Services multidimensional data model.

Lessons

    Configuring Dimensions
    Defining Attribute Hierarchies
    Sorting and Grouping Hierarchies

Lab: Defining Dimensions

    Configuring Dimensions and Attributes
    Creating Hierarchies
    Creating a Hierarchy with Attribute Relationships
    Creating a Ragged Hierarchy
    Browsing Dimensions and Hierarchies in a Cube

After completing this module, you will be able to:

    Configure dimensions
    Define attribute hierarchies
    Sort and group attributes

Module 4: Working with Measures and Measure Groups
This module describes measures and measure groups. It also explains how you can use them to define fact tables and associate dimensions with measures.

Lessons

    Working with Measures
    Working with Measure Groups

Lab: Configuring Measures and Measure Groups

    Configuring Measures
    Defining a Regular Relationship
    Configuring Measure Group Storage

After completing this module, you will be able to:

    Configure measures
    Configure measure groups

Module 5: Introduction to MDX
This module describes the fundamentals of MDX and explains how to build calculations, such as calculated members and named sets.

Lessons

    MDX Fundamentals
    Adding Calculations to a Cube
    Using MDX to Query a Cube

Lab: Using MDX

    Creating Calculated Members
    Querying a Cube by Using MDX

After completing this module, you will be able to:

    Describe MDX
    Add calculations to a cube
    Describe how to use MDX in client applications

Module 6: Enhancing a Cube
This module describes how to enhance a cube with Key Performance Indicators (KPIs), actions, perspectives, and translations.

Lessons

    Working with Key Performance Indicators
    Working with Actions
    Working with Perspectives
    Working with Translations

Lab: Customizing a Cube

    Implementing an Action
    Implementing Perspectives
    Implementing a Translation

After completing this module, you will be able to:

    Implement Key Performance Indicators
    Implement Actions
    Implement Perspectives
    Implement Translations

Module 7: Implementing an Analysis Services Tabular Data Model
This module describes Analysis Services tabular data models and explains how to develop a tabular data model using the SQL Server Data Tools for Business Intelligence (BI) add-in for Visual Studio.

Lessons

    Introduction to Analysis Services Tabular Data Models
    Creating a Tabular Data Model
    Using an Analysis Services Tabular Data Model in the Enterprise

Lab: Implementing an Analysis Services Tabular Data Model

    Creating an Analysis Services Tabular Data Model Project
    Configuring Columns and Relationships
    Deploying an Analysis Services Tabular Data Model

After completing this module, you will be able to:

    Describe Analysis Services tabular data model projects
    Implement an Analysis Services tabular data model
    Use an Analysis Services tabular data model

Module 8: Introduction to DAX
This module explains the fundamentals of the DAX language. It also explains how you can use DAX to create calculated columns and measures, and how you can use them in your tabular data models.

Lessons

    DAX Fundamentals
    Enhancing a Tabular Data Model with DAX

Lab: Using DAX to Enhance a Tabular Data Model

    Creating Calculated Columns
    Creating Measures
    Creating a KPI
    Implementing a Parent-Child Hierarchy

After completing this module, you will be able to:

    Describe the fundamentals of DAX
    Use DAX to create calculated columns and measures

Module 9: Implementing Reports with SQL Server Reporting Services
This module introduces Microsoft SQL Server Reporting Services and discusses the tools and techniques that a professional BI developer can use to create and publish reports.

Lessons

    Introduction to Reporting Services
    Creating a Report with Report Designer
    Grouping and Aggregating Data in a Report
    Publishing and Viewing a Report

Lab: Creating a Report with Report Designer

    Creating a Report
    Grouping and Aggregating Data
    Publishing a Report

After completing this module, you will be able to:

    Describe the key features of Reporting Services
    Use Report Designer to create a report
    Group and aggregate data in a report
    Publish and view a report

Module 10: Enhancing Reports with SQL Server Reporting Services
This module describes how to enhance a SQL Server reporting Services report with charts and other visualizations, and how to use parameters to filter data in a report.

Lessons

    Showing Data Graphically
    Filtering Reports by Using Parameters

Lab: Enhancing a Report

    Adding a Chart to a Report
    Adding Parameters to a Report
    Using Data Bars and Sparklines
    Using a Map

After completing this module, you will be able to:

    Use charts and other visualizations to show data graphically in a report
    Use parameters to filter data in a report

Module 11: Managing Report Execution and Delivery
This module describes how to apply security and report execution settings, and how to create subscriptions to deliver reports.

Lessons

    Managing Report Security
    Managing Report Execution
    Subscriptions and Data Alerts
    Troubleshooting Reporting Services

Lab: Configuring Report Execution and Delivery

    Configuring Report Execution
    Implementing a Standard Subscription
    Implementing a Data-Driven Subscription

After completing this module, you will be able to:

    Configure security settings for a report server.
    Configure report execution settings to optimize performance.
    Use subscriptions and alerts to automate report and data delivery.
    Troubleshoot reporting issues

Module 12: Delivering BI with SharePoint PerformancePoint Services
This module introduces Microsoft SharePoint Server as a platform for BI, and then focuses on building BI dashboards and scorecards with PerformancePoint Services.

Lessons

    Introduction to SharePoint Server as a BI Platform
    Introduction to PerformancePoint Services
    PerformancePoint Data Sources and Time Intelligence
    Reports, Scorecards, and Dashboards

Lab: Implementing a SharePoint Server BI Solution

    Creating a SharePoint Server Site for BI
    Configuring PerformancePoint Data Access
    Creating PerformancePoint Reports
    Creating a PerformancePoint Scorecard
    Creating a PerformancePoint Dashboard

After completing this module, you will be able to:

    Describe SharePoint Server as a BI platform
    Use PerformancePoint Services to deliver BI functionality
    Configure PerformancePoint Data Sources
    Create Reports, Scorecards, and Dashboards

Module 13: Performing Predictive Analysis with Data Mining
This module introduces data mining, describes how to create a data mining solution, how to validate data mining models, how to use the Data Mining Add-ins for Microsoft Excel, and how to incorporate data mining results into Reporting Services reports.

Lessons

    Overview of Data Mining
    Creating a Data Mining Solution
    Validating a Data Mining Model
    Consuming Data Mining Data

Lab: Using Data Mining to Support a Marketing Campaign

    Using Table Analysis Tools
    Creating a Data Mining Structure
    Adding a Data Mining Model to a Data Mining Structure
    Validating a Data Mining Model
    Using a Data Mining Model in a Report

After completing this module, you will be able to:

    Describe the key data mining concepts and use the Data Mining Add-ins for Excel
    Create a data mining solution
    Validate data mining models
    Use data mining data in a report