Upgrade to SSAS 2008

PASSMN SQL Summit 2009

Dan EnglishPrincipal Consultant – Business Intelligence ArchitectDanE@magenic.comhttp://denglishbi.spaces.live.com

Agenda

Introductions / Audience Poll Overview of SSAS Designer Improvements MDX / Engine Changes DMVs Tips & Advice Q&A

Who am I?

Dan English http://denglishbi.spaces.live.com/

Developing with Microsoft technologies for over 12 years

Over 5 years focusing on Data Warehousing and Business Intelligence

Been working with SQL Server since version 6.5

Experienced in Analysis Services (OLAP) and ETL development, data modeling, and requirements gathering

Microsoft Certified IT Professional (MCITP) and Microsoft Certified Technology Specialist (MCTS)

PASSMN 2009 – Executive Board Chair

Enjoy blogging and contributing to forums

YouTube Videos - http://youtube.com/user/denglishbi

Who is Magenic?Founded in 1995, Magenic is a technical consulting firm focused exclusively on Microsoft technologies and has designed and delivered more than 500 Microsoft-based applications

Headquartered in Minneapolis, with offices in Chicago, Boston, Atlanta and San Francisco

2005 Microsoft Partner of the Year, Custom Development Solutions – Technical Innovation

2007 Microsoft Partner of the Year Finalist, Data Management

Microsoft Gold Certified Partner, National Systems Integrator, and Consulting Services Preferred Services Partner

Over 200 consultants

Quick Audience Poll

Anyone currently not using SSAS or first time hearing about the product?

Currently using 7.0? 2000? 2005? 2008?

What front-end tools are being used to access SSAS? Excel? SSRS? ProClarity? PerformancePoint? Dundas OLAP? Other?

Any topics related to SSAS that you would like me to touch on or highlight during the discussion?

Agenda

Introductions / Audience Poll Overview of SSAS Designer Improvements MDX / Engine Changes DMVs Tips & Advice Q&A

The Microsoft BI Platform

Integrate Store

ReportAnalyze

Analysis Challenges

How Do You Deal With:

Data stored in multiple data

sources

The cost of developing analytical

solutions

The costs of learning new

tools

Multiple Users, Multiple Tools

Diverse analytical needs

Inflexible architecture

‘Real-Time’ data access

Deploy for today’s problem but scale

over time

Build fast but build to last

Inconsistent data

Design Scalable SolutionsProductivity-enhancing designersScalable infrastructureSuperior performance

Extend UsabilityUnified meta data model Central KPI manageabilityPredictive analysis

Deliver Actionable InsightOptimized Office interoperabilityRich partner extensibilityOpen, embeddable architecture

Analysis Services 2008 Drive Pervasive Insights

New with Analysis Services 2008

Innovative Cube Designer

Best Practice Design Alerts

Enhanced Dimension Design

Enhanced Aggregation Design

New Subspace Computations

MOLAP Enabled Write-Back

Enhanced Back-Up Scalability

New Resource Monitor

Dynamic Management Views

Designed to Perform

Design

Run

Monitor

Design Scalable Solutions

Productivity Enhancing DesignersOptimized design experienceBest Practice Design AlertsProject Lifecycle support

Scalable Infrastructure Heterogeneous data IntegrationRobust Scale-Out ConfigurationAdvanced Resource MonitoringUser-differentiated perspectives

Superior Performance Market leading MOLAP EngineNear real-time data accessSubspace computation optimizationMOLAP enabled write-back

Agenda

Introductions / Audience Poll Overview of SSAS Designer Improvements MDX / Engine Changes DMVs Tips & Advice Q&A

Dimension Designer

Wizard changes Configure

Attribute (hierarchy) browsing Attribute type

Parent-child detection (based on relationships)

Attribute relationships KeyColumns setup

Attribute Relationships 2005

In SSAS 2005 this was often overlooked and you needed to drag the attributes within the attributes pane or the defined hierarchies.

Attribute Relationships 2008In SSAS 2008 there is a new attribute relationships tab in the dimension designer which provides an easy to understand interface and diagram.

KeyColumns setup 2005

KeyColumns modification and layout changes to dimension designer. In SSAS 2005 required some additional clicks and not setup like the NameColumn configuration.

KeyColumns setup 2008

In 2008 this has been setup like the NameColumn property configuration and easier to access the information.

Aggregation Manager 2005In SSAS 2005 with the sample applications you could utilize Aggregation Manager to maintain your aggregation designs. Have to download from CodePlex and compile the C# application (http://www.codeplex.com/MSFTASProdSamples).

Aggregation Designer 2008In SSAS 2008 you have full control and direct access right within the cube designer with the Advanced View option on the new Aggregations tab.

AMO Warnings / Best Practice AlertsSQL Server Best Practice Analyzer alerts embedded – database or object level

Designer Improvements

DEMO

Agenda

Introductions / Audience Poll Overview of SSAS Designer Improvements MDX / Engine Changes DMVs Tips & Advice Q&A

New MDX CapabilitesSyntax Extensions (Display Folder, Caption, Measure Group association,

KPI Script)• CREATE MEMBER CurrentCube.[Measures].[Calculated Internet Sales Amount] AS

[Measures].[Internet Sales Amount], NON_EMPTY_BEHAVIOR = {[Internet Sales Amount]}, DISPLAY_FOLDER = ‘NET Amounts’, ASSOCIATED_MEASURE_GROUP = ‘Internet Sales’;

• CREATE KPI [Adventure Works].[Internet Sales KPI]AS ([Measures].[Internet Sales Amount], [Date].[Calendar Year].LastChild), GOAL = ([Measures].[Internet Sales Amount], [Date].[Calendar Year].LastChild.PrevMember) * 1.10 -- 3% goal is 3% over previous year, STATUS = IIF(([Measures].[Internet Sales Amount], [Date].[Calendar Year].LastChild)   >= ([Measures].[Internet Sales Amount], [Date].[Calendar Year].LastChild.PrevMember) * 1.10     , 1     , IIF( ([Measures].[Internet Sales Amount], [Date].[Calendar Year].LastChild)          >= ([Measures].[Internet Sales Amount], [Date].[Calendar Year].LastChild.PrevMember) * 1.10 * 0.9           , 0, -1 ) ), TREND = IIF(([Measures].[Internet Sales Amount], [Date].[Calendar Year].LastChild)     >= ([Measures].[Internet Sales Amount], [Date].[Calendar Year].LastChild.PrevMember) * 1.10    , 1    , IIF( ([Measures].[Internet Sales Amount], [Date].[Calendar Year].LastChild)         >= ([Measures].[Internet Sales Amount], [Date].[Calendar Year].LastChild.PrevMember) * 1.10 * 0.9        , 0, -1)), STATUS_GRAPHIC = ‘Traffic Light’ -- Shapes (3), Traffic Light (3), Road Signs (3), Gauge (3), Reversed Gauge (5), Thermometer (3), Cylinder (3), Faces (3), Variance arrow (3), TREND_GRAPHIC = ‘Standard Arrow’ -- Standard Arrow (3), Status Arrow (3), Reversed Arrow (3), Reversed status arrow (5), Faces (3)// , WEIGHT = 1, CURRENT_TIME_MEMBER = [Date].[Date].LastChild, PARENT_KPI = ”, CAPTION = ‘Internet Sales KPI’, DISPLAY_FOLDER = ‘KPIs’, ASSOCIATED_MEASURE_GROUP = ‘Internet Sales’;

http://www.ssas-info.com/VidasMatelisBlog/30_ssas-2008-katmai-mdx-changes

Dynamic Sets!

Ability for the named set to change based on MDX query

Block Computation

Measures.[Sales Amount]

Measures.[Product Contribution]

(Measures.[Sales Amount], Product.[Product Categories].Parent

/

=

Block Computation

Measures.[Sales Amount]

Measures.[Product Contribution]

(Measures.[Sales Amount], Product.[Product Categories].Parent

Step 1: Get non-null values from the Storage Engine

Step 2: Calculate the expression

Step 3: Add null values into the query results

Storage Engine requests return non-null data only

Agenda

Introductions / Audience Poll Overview of SSAS Designer Improvements MDX / Engine Changes DMVs Tips & Advice Q&A

DMVs

Now DMVs are included with SSAS 2008 Utilize the DMVs for:

Resource Monitoring Data Collection Reporting and documentation

SSAS DMVs are schema rowsets exposed to end-users through MDX with syntax that looks like T-SQL

DMVs

DEMO

Agenda

Introductions / Audience Poll Overview of SSAS Designer Improvements MDX / Engine Changes DMVs Tips & Advice Q&A

Tips & Advice

Develop with SSAS project not server mode Use Source Control BIDS Helper

http://bidshelper.codeplex.com

Read the SSAS Best Practice articles http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/sqlserver/bb671432.aspx

Use BIDS 2008 with SSAS 2005 Setup NULL Default Measure in Cube

CREATE MEMBER CURRENTCUBE.MEASURES.UseAsDefaultMeasure AS NULL, VISIBLE = 0;ALTER CUBE CURRENTCUBE UPDATE DIMENSION Measures, DEFAULT_MEMBER = [Measures].UseAsDefaultMeasure;

(http://cwebbbi.spaces.live.com/blog/cns!7B84B0F2C239489A!4123.entry and http://sqlblogcasts.com/blogs/jorg/archive/2009/02/06/speed-up-ssas-dimensions-using-a-null-default-cube-measure.aspx)

Sources

What's New (Analysis Services - Multidimensional Database)

http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/bb522628.aspx

Blogs Vidas Matelis - http://www.ssas-info.com/VidasMatelisBlog Darren Gosbell - http://geekswithblogs.net/darrengosbell Chris Webb – http://cwebbbi.spaces.live.com

Resources

SQL Server 2008 – Analysis Services Multidimensional Data

http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/sqlserver/cc511475.aspx Microsoft Virtual Labs (TechNet and MSDN)

http://www.microsoft.com/events/vlabs/default.mspx

Articles/Tutorials by William Pearson (SSAS, MDX, SSRS)

http://www.databasejournal.com/article.php/1459531

SSAS Info - http://www.ssas-info.com/

Mosha’s Blog - http://sqlblog.com/blogs/mosha/default.aspx

SQL Server Customer Advisor Team – http://sqlcat.com SQL Server Best Practice articles

http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/sqlserver/bb671432.aspx

Q&A

Thank Youhttp://denglishbi.spaces.live.com

info@magenic.com

www.magenic.com