Course 50578-A: MDX with Microsoft Analysis Services: How to ask questions and get accurate answers from your Data

Course Modality

Instructor-led training

Course Level

Intermediate

Course Time

3 Days

Course Language

English

Course Overview

This instructor-led course is designed to take a person from the very beginning of MDX queries to journeyman. The first chapters (1-4) get you well-grounded, then from there we expand out. You won’t know how to do every MDX query. You won’t look at every function. But you will understand the patterns, and from them you can examine examples and build on them to code your own sophisticated queries.

Queries such as:

What are the top 5 customers by country over the last 8 quarters?
What is our reorder point based on inventory levels?
What are our best customers in terms of volume and gross profit?
What effect does shipping cost have on profitability on a geographical distribution?
How do we calculate the Year to Date value?
How do we do Year-over-Year growth?
When looking at manufacturing how do we account only for workdays?

Prerequisites

Before attending this course, students must have:

- - A good idea of what direction their organization wants to go with Business Intelligence Basic Microsoft interface skills such as working with Excel.

Intended Audience

If the past is any indicator of the future then this course will be attended mainly by SQL Professionals, Microsoft Analysis Service cube and report developers and Business Intelligence Professionals coming from competing platforms. But you do not need those skills. The course was not written assuming those skills.

Why this course may be for you:
Your company is moving or implementing Microsoft SQL Server Analysis Services.
Your organization is implementing Department Business Intelligence with a Data Mart.
You want to develop a skillset in high demand.
The current reports from the cubes do not provide the answers.
Your organization wants you to get grounding in MDX so you can build out advanced analytics.

Job role: Developer

Features: none

Why The DataTech Labs ?

Self-Paced Online Video

A 360-degree learning approach that you can adapt to your learning style

A 360-degree learning

Engage and learn more with these live and highly-interactive classes alongside your peers

24/7 Teaching Assistance

24/7 Teaching Assistance Keep engaged with integrated teaching

Online Practice Labs

Projects provide you with sample work to show prospective employers.

Applied Projects

Real-world projects relevant to what you’re learning throughout the program

Learner Social Forums

A support team focused on helping you succeed alongside a peer community

Skill Covered

After completing this course, students will be able to:

In the parlance of my beloved Marine Corp, you will go from raw recruit to Marine Rifleman. (God bless the Marines!) Or in the business world you will be at a mid-level of competence in MDX. You should be able with practice to get to expert on your own with experience. Yes Bunkie, you have to work!

Get In Touch

Course Curriculum

Module 1

The Microsoft Business Intelligence Stack

This module walks through the entire Microsoft stack showing step by step how raw data is extracted, transformed then loaded into the various technologies where it is presented for analysis.

What you will get out of this module:

An overview of the Microsoft Business Intelligence Stack
An understanding of the available technologies
Lessons
What Business Intelligence can do for your organization
What to watch out for in implementation
The Scope and what types of tools address each?

Lab : The Microsoft Business Intelligence Stack

Module 2

Getting Started with MDX. We walk then run. Learn this and you won’t trip.

This is the Hello World experience in MDX. This is where you will learn why you can get an answer without really asking a question. And this is where you say goodbye to SQL habits.

What you will get out of this module:

The difference between multidimensional and flat or tabular space
The importance of schemas in SQL Server Analysis Services
Basic syntax of MDX
Lessons
MultiDimensional VS Tabular Space
Data Warehouse Data Mart
MDX Introduction
The Editors

Lab : Getting Started with MDX. We walk then run. Learn this and you won’t trip.

Module 3

The all-important Dimensions. The bearers of truth.

What you will get out of this module:

Working knowledge of Dimensions
The ability to explain what a tuple does
Why SSAS cells are important and their properties
How to construct a MDX Set
Utilize built in Set Functions
Lessons
Dimensions
Dimension Attributes
Hierarchies
Referencing Members
Tuples
Cells
Sets
Set Functions

Lab : The all-important Dimensions. The bearers of truth.

Module 4

Navigation and the secrets of relatives!

What you will get out of this module:

Importance of Navigation to reporting
How to locate a cells relatives
How to use Navigational Functions in reporting
Controlling Sorting of reports
Filtering the results of a report
How to combine a sets

Lessons

Lab : Navigation and the secrets of relatives!

Module 5

MDX Calculations.

What you will get out of this module:

How to utilize expressions
How to use MDX functions in Calculations
Variances through the With clause
How to use sets in expressions
How to work with statistical functions

Lessons

Expressions
Calculated members
Formatting output through the With clause
Dynamic Expressions
IIF function
Statistical Functions
Determining which tuples satisfy a parameter in a report

Lab : MDX Calculations.

Module 6

Working with Time. Multiple calendars, divergent horizons.

What you will get out of this module:

Understanding of time in SSAS
How to perform time based calculations
Navigating Time Dimensions
How to use a calculated measure in a time Dimension
How to Sum and Aggregate data over time

Lessons

Time Dimension
Multiple calendars
Time based Functions
ParallelPeriod
OpeningPeriod
ClosingPeriod
LastPeriod
Year-To-Date
Calculated Measures and a time Dimension
Comparing Periods
Sum Function
Aggregate Function
Max and Min Function in Time

Lab : Working with Time. Multiple calendars, divergent horizons.

Module 7

Business Insights. Now let’s put it to work and get some situational answers.

What you will get out of this module:

This module combines techniques from the other modules and expands where necessary.You should develop an understanding of how to approach and solve MDX problems.

Lessons

Or logic
And Logic
Combining Or and And logic from different hierarchies
Logical And with members from the Same
Using the NonEmpty function
Moving Averages
Last date with data
ParallelPeriod for Multiple Dates
Testing current context
Options of the Descendants function
Ranking Values

Lab : Business Insights. Now let’s put it to work and get some situational answers.

Module 8

Where else will MDX work? SQL Reports

What you will get out of this module:

How to use MDX in a SQL Server Reporting Services Report
MDX in PerformancePoint Services 2010

Lessons

Create a SSRS report
Create a connection into the cube
Create a MDX query with the query designer
Create a custom query
Pass a parameter
PerformancePoint Services Dashboard Designer (Not installed PowerPoint and Video demonstration)

Lab : Where else will MDX work? SQL Reports

Module 9

KPIs and MDX in the Business Intelligence Development Studio Editor

What you will get out of this module:

How to use MDX in a Business Intelligence Development Studio Editor
MDX in Calculations in Form view
How to create KPIs

Lessons

Use Business Intelligence Development Studio to create a named calculation in the cube
Use Business Intelligence Development Studio to create KPIs

Lab : PerformancePoint Services

Reviews

Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Ut elit tellus, luctus nec ullamcorper mattis, pulvinar dapibus leo.