In 2020, the world celebrated the brand new yr with many uncertainties. Nicely, life is filled with uncertainties, however, this one was very completely different. The world was going through a brand new pandemic that by no means skilled earlier than. The primary COVID19 case in New Zealand was confirmed in February 2020. In March 2020 the whole nation went to lockdown for the primary time. The world was experiencing an enormous risk altering everybody’s lives. I used to be no completely different. Every single day was beginning with dangerous information. A relative handed away; a buddy received the virus; the shoppers put the tasks on maintain and so forth. Nothing was wanting regular anymore. You possibly can’t even go to get a correct haircut, as a result of everyone seems to be in lockdown. That is me making an attempt to smile after getting a home made haircut. I wager a lot of you have got achieved the identical factor.
Sooner or later, I checked my e mail and noticed a message from Packt Publishing. They wished to see if I’m concerned with writing a guide about Energy BI. That was a bit of fine information after a very long time. I at all times wished to put in writing a guide about Energy BI. Certainly, I tried for the primary time in 2016, however I couldn’t handle to get my geese in a row to understand the publishers’ consideration.
I used to be not unfamiliar with writing books; certainly, I wrote my first guide again in 2006 about Multimedia Functions in Persian. Considered one of my passions in life is listening to music. And CDs have been probably the most accessible music supply with high-quality sound. I recall I saved cash for some months, and I purchased a Discman to take heed to the music on the go. However CDs are quite cumbersome, and you might not have a lot of them in your pocket. So the subsequent mission was to avoid wasting much more cash to purchase an MP3 participant. However, changing Audio CDs to MP3 with out compromising loads on the sound high quality was an actual problem for many individuals. And, that was my motive to put in writing my first guide in Persian to share my little information with everybody.
Whereas I used to be accustomed to writing books, my earlier expertise was fairly completely different as my guide was in Persian, my first language. So writing a technical guide in English may very well be an actual problem. So, the e-mail from Packt Publishing may very well be a game-changer in some ways. Now, I had an enormous mission to take care of; as a substitute of desirous about all of the destructive pandemic information. I made a decision to simply accept the problem and embraced the chance. In Might 2020, I formally began writing my guide, Professional Knowledge Modeling with Energy BI. I had lengthy days with a brilliant busy schedule for greater than a yr. I labored very exhausting to handle my duties because the founding father of Knowledge Vizioner and sustain with the product growth, dealing with my consultancy position, writing my guide and on the similar time making a suitable work-life stability. I labored between 12 to 16 hours a day, together with the weekends. However all of the exhausting works paid off after my guide was revealed in June 2021.
What’s in This E book for You?
Microsoft Energy BI is among the hottest enterprise intelligence instruments obtainable available on the market that you should use in your native machine and the cloud. This guide shall be your information to understanding completely different facets of information modelling, so the main target of this guide is to not train you the best way to write DAX expressions. For that matter, there are a lot better books on the market that I personally check with on some events. The very best ones for studying DAX, for my part, are:
- Phill Seamark’s books:
- Starting DAX with Energy BI: The SQL Professional’s Information to Higher Enterprise Intelligence
- Professional DAX with Energy BI: Enterprise Intelligence with PowerPivot and SQL Server Evaluation Providers Tabular
- Marco Russo and Alberto Ferrari’s guide:
- Definitive Information to DAX, The : Enterprise intelligence for Microsoft Energy BI, SQL Server Evaluation Providers, and Excel by Marco Russo and Alberto Ferrari
Whereas my guide closely makes use of many Energy Question methods, however once more, the principle focus will not be on Energy Question. For studying Energy Question, I recommend studying the next guide:
To make it clearer, my guide discusses a number of DAX and Energy Question, however, the main target of the guide is to not resolve all modelling challenges solely with Energy Question or DAX. The main target right here is certainly on Energy Question, DAX and lots of different facets of information modelling. As an example, the guide covers the circulate of information in several layers of Energy BI Desktop; an idea which may look trivial to many readers, however actually, it’s a essential idea that if we don’t perceive it effectively, we can not create information mannequin. So, the guide begins discussing some constructing blocks, then it covers many facets of superior information modelling. So, no matter your degree of data, the Professional Knowledge Modelling with Energy BI has one thing for you.
What this guide covers
The next sections clarify what the guide covers in several chapters.
Chapter 1, Introduction to Knowledge Modeling in Energy BI
This chapter briefly describes the completely different functionalities of Energy BI and why information modelling is essential. This chapter additionally reveals some essential notes to be thought-about round Energy BI licensing, which probably may have an effect on your information mannequin. This chapter introduces an iterative information modelling method, which ensures an agile Energy BI implementation.
Chapter 2, Knowledge Evaluation eXpressions and Knowledge Modeling
This chapter doesn’t talk about a number of DAX as in elements 3 and 4 of this guide DAX is closely used to unravel completely different information modelling challenges. Due to this fact, we’ll solely deal with the DAX functionalities which can be tougher to know and are very related to information modelling. This chapter begins with a fast introduction to DAX, then we bounce straight to digital tables and time intelligence functionalities and their functions in real-world situations.
Chapter 3, Knowledge Preparation in Energy Question Editor
This chapter shortly explains the elements of Energy Question and their software. It expresses the emphasis of making question parameters and user-defined features together with real-world use instances and situations to exhibit how highly effective they’re in constructing way more versatile and maintainable fashions.
Chapter 4, Getting Knowledge from Numerous Sources
This chapter explains getting information from completely different information sources which can be extra generally utilized in Energy BI. Then, the significance of information supply certification is defined, which helps you set your expectations on the kind of information you’re going to take care of. That is particularly useful in estimating information modelling efforts. Completely different connection modes are additionally defined on this chapter.
Chapter 5, Frequent Knowledge Preparation Steps
Explains frequent information preparation steps together with real-world hands-on situations. A mix of what you have got realized up to now on this guide with the steps to be mentioned on this chapter offers you a powerful basis to go on to the subsequent chapters and construct your information fashions extra effectively. By studying these functionalities, you may take care of a number of completely different situations in implementing completely different information fashions.
Chapter 6, Star Schema Preparation in Energy Question Editor
Explains the best way to put together your queries primarily based on the star schema information modelling method with real-life situations. The Energy Question M language shall be closely used on this chapter, so you’ll discover ways to take care of real-world challenges alongside the best way. As you have got already realized frequent information preparation steps within the earlier chapter, nearly all of Energy Question situations defined on this chapter shall be simpler to implement. You’ll additionally discover ways to construct dimension tables and reality tables, and the best way to denormalize your queries when wanted.
Chapter 7, Knowledge Preparation Frequent Greatest Practices
Explains frequent greatest practices in information preparation. Following these practices will enable you construct extra environment friendly information fashions which can be simpler to take care of and extra versatile to make adjustments to. Following these practices, you may as well keep away from frequent errors, which may make your life a lot simpler.
Chapter 8, Knowledge Modeling Elements
Explains information modelling elements from a Energy BI perspective together with actual file examples. On this chapter, we closely use DAX when relevant so having a primary understanding of DAX is important. We even have an entire star schema mannequin in Energy BI. The idea of config tables is roofed, which unlocks a number of potentialities in dealing with extra complicated enterprise logic within the information mannequin. The chapter
ends with information modelling naming conventions.
Chapter 9, Star Shema and Knowledge Modeling Frequent Greatest Practices
This chapter explains frequent information modelling greatest practices that can assist you make higher selections whereas constructing your information mannequin to stop going through some identified points down the highway. As an example, coping with information kind points in key columns which can be utilized in relationships is considerably time-consuming to determine, however it’s very straightforward to stop. So, understanding information modelling greatest practices helps you save a number of upkeep time and consequently saves you cash.
Chapter 10, Superior Knowledge Modeling Strategies
This chapter explains particular modelling methods that resolve particular enterprise necessities. information modeller is one who’s at all times open to new challenges. You could face a few of the superior enterprise necessities mentioned on this chapter or you could face one thing completely different however related. The message we need to ship on this chapter is to suppose freely when coping with new enterprise challenges and attempt to be
revolutionary to get the most effective outcomes.
Chapter 11, Row-Stage Safety
Explains the best way to implement row-level safety (RLS) in a Energy BI information mannequin. Coping with RLS will be complicated and understanding the best way to take care of completely different conditions wants deep information on information modelling and filter propagation ideas. Our goal on this chapter is to switch that information to you so you may design and implement high-performing and low-maintenance information fashions.
Chapter 12, Further Choices and Options Accessible for Knowledge Modeling
This chapter introduces information modelling choices resembling Slowly Altering Dimensions (SCD), Object-Stage Safety (OLS), dataflows, and composite fashions, providing you with broad publicity to all these matters.
I Was Not Alone Alongside the Method
All this was not doable with out having the total assist of my beautiful spouse, my mates and my household. I additionally want to present my particular gratefulness to 2 wonderful professionals:
I additionally thank the next Microsoft MVPs who put their useful time to assessment my guide after publication and offered their suggestions:
Thanks everybody in your assist.
