146 Exercise Notes Chapter 3

146 Exercise Notes Chapter 3

Exercise 3.1: Creating and Browsing Dimensions with SSAS (15 Minutes) Notes: None. Answers: Step 25 (a) Customer.CustomerKey. 25 (b) Customer.FullName. Created an Analysis Services multidimensional project using SQL Server Data Tools called Marketing Project, created a Data Source View, imported the necessary tables into it, modified the friendly name of each table, added some calculated columns to some tables, imported some of the needed dimensions, deployed the project to Analysis Services, and connected to Analysis Services with SSDT so we could examine a couple of the new hierarchies. We learned how to use SQL Server Data Tools to create and deploy an Analysis Services multidimensional project to the SQL Server. In the process, we learned how to create a Data Source, a Data View, calculated columns, and import existing dimensions to make up the contents of the project.

Exercise 3.2: Creating and Browsing an Analysis Services Cube (15 Minutes) Notes: None. Answers: Step 24 AdventurWorksDW2012. Created and configured a new cube using SQL Server Data Tools, deployed the cube to the Marketing Project in SQL Server Analysis Services, used Excel to perform some simple analysis with the cube, and used SSDT to view another complete cube that had been previously deployed. We learned how to use SQL Server Data Tools to create and deploy a cube and how to use Excel to do some data analysis with the cube. We learned how to examine the elements of an existing cube with SQL Server Data Tools.

Exercise 3.3: Creating a KPI (10 Minutes) Notes: Step 12 If deployment fails because the Adventure Works Sales Analysis database already exists, then use SQL Management Studio to delete the database. Created and configured a KPI (Key Performance Indicator) using SQL Server Data Tools, deployed the KPI to the Adventure Works Sales Analysis database, and used Browser View to examine the deployed KPI. We learned how to create and deploy a KPI with SQL Server Data Tools. We also learned a little about how to use MDX (Multidimensional Data Expression) language to create the expressions in the KPI.

Exercise 3.4: Connecting to an Analysis Services Cube with Excel (20 Minutes) Notes: None. Answers: Step 10 $4,424.94. Connected Excel to the Adventure Works cube in the Adventure Works Sales Analysis database, built a Pivot Table based on the cube, and formatted the Pivot Table using Data Bars, Heat Maps, and Icon Sets. We learned how to connect an Excel worksheet to a cube and create a Pivot Table based on that cube. We also learned that there are many useful formatting tools (Data Bars, Heat Maps, Icon Sets, etc ) to make the data display more intuitive.

Exercise 3.5: Saving Excel Workbooks to SharePoint (15 Minutes) Notes: None. Answers: Step 19 Yes. Opened Excel Reseller Sales.xlsx, added a parameter called Year to it, exported the data connection to the SharePoint BiCenter Connections Library, uploaded the Excel Reseller Sales.xlsx file to the SharePoint BiCenter Reports Library, and opened the file in SharePoint to ensure that the parameter functioned properly and the formatting was retained. We learned how to add a parameter to a workbook and how to upload the workbook to a SharePoint document library. We learned that Excel Services in SharePoint allows users to use Excel spreadsheets through their web browsers while retaining most of their functionality without actually having Excel installed on their computers.

Exercise 3.6: Creating a SharePoint Dashboard and Adding Excel Report and Filter (20 Minutes) Notes: Step 18 If the connection dialog displays Get Named Items From instead of Get Filter Values From, the parameter added to the worksheet in Exercise 3.6 does not exist. Use Excel to add the parameter, upload to ReportsLibrary again, and add the Excel Web Access web part to the page again. Used the browser to create a web part page (AdventureWorks Dashboard) in the Dashboard library of the BICenter site, added an Excel Web Access Web Part to the page, configured it to display the Excel Reseller Sales workbook from the Report Library, added a SQL Services Analysis Services Filter Web Part to the page, connected the filter web part to the Excel Web Access Web Part, and tested the page noting that different filter values chosen by the user yielded different results displayed by the spreadsheet in the Excel Web Access Web Part. We learned how to create a Web Part Page to serve as a Dashboard, add an Excel Web Access Web Part to the page that displays a spreadsheet from the Reports Library, add a Filter to the page that uses data from a Cube, and connect the Filter Web Part on the page to the Excel Web Access Web Part on the page so that filter choices made by a user change the results displayed in the spreadsheet. We also learned that the SharePoint Secure Store Service can be used to provide proxy credentials for users as they operate components on the dashboard page.