Microsoft® SQL Server® 2008 Analysis Services Step by Step (Step By Step (Microsoft)) [Paperback]

Scott Cameron (Author)

Book Description

Series: Step By Step (Microsoft) | Publication Date: April 15, 2009

Teach yourself to use SQL Server 2008 Analysis Services for business intelligence—one step at a time. You'll start by building your understanding of the business intelligence platform enabled by SQL Server and the Microsoft Office System, highlighting the role of Analysis Services. Then, you’ll create a simple multidimensional OLAP cube and progressively add features to help improve, secure, deploy, and maintain an Analysis Services database. You'll explore core Analysis Services 2008 features and capabilities, including dimension, cube, and aggregation design wizards; a new attribute relationship designer; designer AMO warnings; and using dynamic management views to monitor resources. And as you complete each lesson, you can hone your skills using the practice exercises from the companion CD. Plus, you can review and download code samples illustrating the author’s own, professional techniques—direct from the companion Web site.

A Note Regarding the CD or DVD

The print version of this book ships with a CD or DVD. For those customers purchasing one of the digital formats in which this book is available, we are pleased to offer the CD/DVD content as a free download via O'Reilly Media's Digital Distribution services. To download this content, please visit O'Reilly's web site, search for the title of this book to find its catalog page, and click on the link below the cover image (Examples, Companion Content, or Practice Files). Note that while we provide as much of the media content as we are able via free download, we are sometimes limited by licensing restrictions. Please direct any questions or concerns to [e-mail].

Product Details

• Paperback: 416 pages
• Publisher: Microsoft Press; 1 Pap/Com edition (April 15, 2009)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0735626200
• ISBN-13: 978-0735626201
• Product Dimensions: 8.9 x 7.2 x 1.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (11 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #87,660 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #38 in Books > Computers & Technology > Microsoft > Development > SQL Server
  • #58 in Books > Computers & Technology > Databases > SQL

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

16 of 17 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Easy and breezy - excellent introduction to SSAS OLAP, June 3, 2010

By 

David Foley (Portsmouth, NH United States) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Microsoft® SQL Server® 2008 Analysis Services Step by Step (Step By Step (Microsoft)) (Paperback)

This is an excellent starter for the OLAP portion of SSAS.

Chapters 1 and 2 provide a great introduction to some of the initially quirky concepts that SSAS uses. (A proper understanding of fundamental things like attribute hierarchies is crucial, especially if you come to SSAS with dangerous baggage from non-MDX-based BI platforms. If this describes you, make sure you understand these 2 chapters implicitly before proceeding).

Each of the following chapters has the same format - a conceptual overview followed by some exercises. The overview pieces are usually short (yet fairly complete, for overviews), very readable and can absolutely stand on their own - in other words, you can return to the material months later and clarify a concept in 60 seconds without having to wade through pages of rambling blather. I find this quite unusual for what is nominally an exercise-oriented book.

Chapters 8 and 10 contain nuggets regarding Scenario Dimensions and Writeback - personally I would really like to have seen the discussion on Planning applications developed a bit further, but it's probably of fairly narrow interest. Chapter 13 contains the best conceptual overview of Aggregation Design that I have yet seen.

If you find SSAS OLAP the most exciting part of the MS BI stack, and want to focus solely within that area, this is the best place to start. It's an easy (and at only 400 pages, quite breezy) read - you won't be a master when you get through it (specifically, MDX), but you will understand all of the major SSAS concepts, and that's an achievement in itself.

Note to SSAS OLAP newbies: Do NOT use the MSFT Books Online to start with. The tutorials there are adequate when it comes to button-pushing, and the technical reference sections are excellent when you have achieved a level of competency ... however, neither addresses the CONCEPTS properly ... start with this book and save yourself 3-6 months of pain!

5 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great book to get you going, November 19, 2009

By 

Daniel R. Gleason "DanSoCalMan" (Irvine, CA and points West) - See all my reviews
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Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Microsoft® SQL Server® 2008 Analysis Services Step by Step (Step By Step (Microsoft)) (Paperback)

Excellent step by step setup, configuring, creating, and so forth. Get this book if you need a guided example so you don't waste your time troubleshooting procedures.

5 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Good value, November 16, 2009

By 

Allen Allegretto "AA" - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Microsoft® SQL Server® 2008 Analysis Services Step by Step (Step By Step (Microsoft)) (Paperback)

Very useful book. Easier to comprehend than online help. Well organized with detailed explanations. Also includes CD with example databases and projects.