Cover
Copyright page
Contents at a Glance
Table of Contents
Acknowledgments
Introduction
Finding Your Best Starting Point in This Book
Conventions and Features in This Book
Conventions
Hardware and Software Requirements
Practice Files and SQL Server 2008 Configuration
Installing the Practice Files
Configuring SQL Server 2008
Uninstalling the Practice files
Find Additional Content Online
Support for This Book
Questions and Comments
Chapter 1: Business Intelligence: A Data Analysis Foundation
Introducing Business Intelligence
Multidimensional Data Analysis
Attributes in Data Analysis
Hierarchies in Data Analysis
Dimensions in Data Analysis
Understanding a Dimensional Data Warehouse
A Fact Table
Dimension Tables
Surrogate Keys and Slowly Changing Dimensions
Alternative Table Structures
Multidimensional OLAP
Chapter 2: Understanding OLAP and Analysis Services
Understanding OLAP
Consistently Fast Response
Metadata-Based Queries
Spreadsheet-Style Formulas
Understanding Analysis Services
Analysis Services and Speed
Analysis Services and Metadata
Analysis Services and the Microsoft Business Intelligence Platform
Analysis Services Tools
Chapter 3: Accessing Source Data
Creating a Business Intelligence Solution
Creating a Data Source
Creating a Data Source View
Modifying a Data Source View
Chapter 4: Creating Dimensions
Previewing Dimension Data
Creating a Standard Dimension
Deploying an Analysis Services Database
Modifying a Dimension
Creating a Time Dimension
Creating a Parent-Child Dimension
Chapter 5: Creating a Cube
Previewing Cube Data
Using the Wizard to Create a Cube
Role-Playing Dimensions
Deploying and Browsing a Cube
Using the Cube Designer to Modify a Cube
Adding User-Friendly Names to a Cube
Formatting Measures
Modifying the Interaction of Dimensions and Measure Groups
Adding Measures and Measure Groups to a Cube
Creating a Calculated Member
Redeploying and Browsing a Cube
Chapter 6: Creating Advanced Measures and Calculations
Using Aggregate Functions
Using MDX to Retrieve Values from a Cube
Creating Calculated Members
Applying Conditional Formatting
Calculating Contribution
Creating Calculated Members Outside of the Measures Dimension
Calculation Scripting
Creating KPIs
Chapter 7: Advanced Dimension Design
Dimension Usage
Creating Reference Dimensions
Creating a Fact Dimension
Creating a Many-to-Many Dimension
Chapter 8: Working with Account Intelligence
Designing a Financial Analysis Cube
Working with Account Intelligence
Creating an Account Dimension
Working with Non-Additive Financial Measures
Creating a Non-Additive Calculated Member
Working with a Scenario Dimension
Chapter 9: Currency Conversion and Multiple Languages
Supporting Foreign Currency Conversion
Supporting Foreign Language Translation
Chapter 10: Interacting with a Cube
Implementing Actions
Creating Standard Actions
Creating Drillthrough Actions
Linking to Reporting Services Reports
Using Writeback to Modify Analysis Services Data
Enabling Dimension Writeback
Enabling Cube Writeback
Chapter 11: Retrieving Data from Analysis Services
Creating Perspectives
Creating MDX Queries
Accessing Analysis Services Using Excel 2007
Creating Reporting Services Reports
Chapter 12: Implementing Security
Understanding Roles
Securing Administrative Access
Assigning Server-Level Administrative Access
Assigning Database-Level Administrative Access
Securing Data Access
Granting Access to Cubes
Restricting Access to Dimension Members
Restricting Access to Cells
Chapter 13: Designing Aggregations
Understanding Aggregation Design
Using the Aggregation Design Wizard
Attribute Relationships, User-Defined Hierarchies, and Aggregation Design
Designing an Aggregation
Changing Partition Counts
Using the Usage-Based Optimization Wizard
Chapter 14: Managing Partitions and Database Processing
Working with Storage
Understanding Dimension Storage Modes
Understanding Partition Storage Modes
Changing Data in a Warehouse
Managing Analysis Services Processing
Processing a Dimension
Processing a Cube
Proactive Caching
Working with Partitions
Understanding Partition Strategies
Creating Partitions
Chapter 15: Managing Deployment
Deployment Overview
Deployment Mechanics
Deployment Using Business Intelligence Development Studio
Deployment Using the Deployment Wizard
Deployment Wizard UI
Understanding Deployment Scripts
Migrating Databases and Disaster Recovery
Detaching and Attaching an Analysis Services Database
Synchronizing Databases
Backing Up and Restoring a Database
Chapter 16: Advanced Monitoring and Management Tools
Monitoring Analysis Services Using Windows Reliability And Performance Monitor
Monitoring Analysis Services Using SQL Server Profiler
Analysis Services Dynamic Management Views
About the Author
Contributing Authors