SQL Server 2012: SSAS enhancements
My previous blog, SQL Server 2012 (“Denali”): Details on the next version of SSAS, talked about the major new feature in SSAS, which is BISM. But what other changes are there? Well, not much. Here...
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SQL Server 2012: Multidimensional vs tabular
To expand on what I talked about in SQL Server 2012 (“Denali”): Details on the next version of SSAS, there is a new data model called Tabular. So when you are creating a new project, which model...
View ArticleSSAS development quick tip
When creating a new cube in SSAS, you are frequently making changes that cause the whole cube to reprocess when you use the “Deploy” option (such as structure changes or aggregation design changes)....
View ArticleSSAS File System Error
I received this error the other day when trying to process a particular SSAS cube: Error 18 File system error: The following file is corrupted: Physical file:...
View ArticleBeing careful in SSAS to not make a cube/dimension unprocessed
A big headache in SSAS, especially when dealing with a large cube, is making a change that when deployed, causes a cube to become unprocessed, forcing you to do a full process so the cube is usable....
View ArticleWhat happens when a SSAS Tabular model exceeds memory?
If you are using the Tabular model in SSAS, it will use the xVelocity technology to load your entire database in memory (greatly compressing the database). So what happens if your database is too big...
View ArticleComparing DirectQuery and ROLAP for real-time access
In the multidimensional model in SSAS, there is a storage mode called relational OLAP (ROLAP), which is the multidimensional solution for allowing real-time access to relational data sources and uses...
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Visual Studio 2012 does not support BI
UPDATE 3/6/13: VS 2012 now supports BI! Check out Microsoft SQL Server Data Tools – Business Intelligence for Visual Studio 2012 In the same vein as my post Watch out, Visual Studio 2010 does not...
View ArticlePrevent wiping out of SSAS partitions
There have been a few times when I have created SSAS partitions outside of BIDS using script code in an SSiS package, then later made a change in BIDS and deployed the cube, wiping out those partitions...
View ArticleSSAS: One giant cube or many small ones?
When using SQL Server Analysis Services (SSAS) to build a cube, you may start out with one fact table, but then decide to add another fact table. You are then faced with a decision: Do you add that...
View ArticleVisual Studio 2012 now supports BI!
My most popular blog has been Visual Studio 2012 does not support BI. In short, this means VS 2012 does not support SSAS, SSIS, or SSRS. Well, not anymore! Just released is Microsoft SQL Server Data...
View ArticleBenefits of using views in a BI solution
Using SQL Server views throughout a Business Intelligence (BI) solution can provide a tremendous amount of benefits. Here is a list of such benefits, taken in large part from the excellent video SQLBI...
View ArticleWhy use a SSAS cube?
What are the advantages of using SSAS Cubes over a regular data warehouse for reporting? Note I’m not asking why report on a data warehouse instead of a OLTP database. which is covered at Why You Need...
View ArticleBook: Expert Cube Development with SSAS Multidimensional Models
Those of you who use SQL Server Analysis Services (SSAS) are likely familiar with the “bible” for designing cubes: Expert Cube Development with Microsoft SQL Server 2008 Analysis Services by Marco...
View ArticleReal-time query access with PDW
The Parallel Data Warehouse (PDW) officially supports Analysis Services as a data source, both the Multidimensional model (ROLAP and MOLAP modes) and the Tabular model (In-Memory and DirectQuery...
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PASS Summit Announcements: Azure Analysis Services
Microsoft usually has some interesting announcements at the PASS Summit, and this year was no exception. I’m writing a set of blogs covering the major announcements. Perhaps the biggest one is the...
View ArticleCreate quick queries quickly with SSAS in Azure
In a perfect world a data warehouse would always return all queries very quickly, no matter what the size or complexity of the data warehouse. But the reality is that sometimes we won’t get the...
View ArticleSSAS high availability
If you are looking at providing high availability (HA) for SSAS, here are 3 options: Install SSAS on a Windows Server Failover Cluster (WSFC) Here’s a good article. The main issue with this option is...
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Azure Analysis Services web designer
Microsoft has released a preview of the Azure Analysis Services web designer. This is a browser-based experience that will allow developers to start creating and managing Azure Analysis Services (AAS)...
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Reference architecture for enterprise reporting in Azure
As I mentioned in my recent blog Use cases of various products for a big data cloud solution, with so many products it can be difficult to know the best products to use when building a solution. When...
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