Self Service BI:

21st November 2009

Bob DuffyDatabase ArchitectProdata SQL Centre of Excellence

Project GeminiPowerPivot

Speaker Profile – Bob Duffy• SQL Server MVP

• MCA for SQL Server (aka SQL Ranger)• MCM on SQL 2005 and 2008• 18 years in database sector, 250+ projects• Senior Consultant with Microsoft 2005-2008• Regular speaker for TechNet, MSDN, Users Groups,

Irish and UK Technology Conferences • On MCM 2008 exam working group• Database Architect at Prodata SQL Centre

Excellence, Dublin

Agenda• Why Self Service BI• What is PowerPivot?• PowerPivot for Excel• PowerPivot for SharePoint

The BI road so far 2005/8

“Trad” 2005/8 BI Architecture

Problems with Traditional BI ?

#1 The Business User

“It has to stay in Excel. We just won’t use another tool.”

“We don’t know what is OLAP and dimensional modeling and we don’t care to know. Even relational modeling is a bit too hard.”

“Don’t ask us to design or model anything in advance. We should just be able to load our data in and work. Exactly as do in Excel.”

Can we compare the data to competitors data ?

Can we analyze this data by tomorrow ?

#2 The IT Perspective on using Excel

Arrrggg… #%^$%

“Spreadmarts”

“Stale Data” “Multiple Versions of the Truth”

“Unsanctioned Information”

“Rouge Applications”

“Ban Excel!”

“Data locked in Excel sheets”

“Unsecure”

Gemini Goals – Match Conflicting Twins…

Simple and Smart Tool

Scalable and robust

Infrastructure

PowerPivot

Business IT

What is PowerPivot?>Excel-hosted client & reporting

>In-memory BI engine (VertiPaq)

>PowerPivot for SharePoint

>Operational Monitoring

PowerPivot for Excel…LoadingFilteringMashups

Introducing DAX• Expression Language based on Excel

Syntax• Essential for Calculated Columns and

Measures• Converted to MDX by PowerPivot AddIn• Example Functions:

• RELATED(), RELATEDTABLE()• Filter(Table, Condition)• Distinct(Column)• Concatenation “&”

• Notes:• Works on Columns NOT Rows• Consider “home” sheet carefully

Using DAX:Profit Analysis

Temperature Mashup

Wheres the data?>Excel-hosted client & reporting

>In-memory BI engine (VertiPaq)

>PowerPivot for SharePoint

>Operational Monitoring

PowerPivot for SharePoint

• Sits under Excel Web Access (EWA)• Installation Gotchas

• Read the guides (on blogs)• Needs Domain Accounts• Easier with “new” farm• Use Windows 2008 x64sp2 (patch for R2 released)• Uses lots of RAM• Limit of 2GB size (blob)

• Needs Enterprise Edition

PowerPivot for SharePoint

What is PowerPivot?>Excel-hosted client & reporting

>In-memory BI engine (VertiPaq)

>PowerPivot for SharePoint

>Operational Monitoring

Step 1 Monitoring Sandboxes

Step 2 Monitoring Servers

Step 3 Monitoring a Solution

SummaryExcel is user tool of choiceBalance between

User PowerIT Management

Bridges the Organizational DivideGemini is a part of the MS BI stack

Enables the Self-Service scenarioEnhances existing investments

CTP3 Available nowShip next year

References/BlogsOfficial Blog/Sitehttp://blogs.msdn.com/powerpivot/http://www.powerpivot.com/

Analysis Services Team Blogshttp://powerpivotgeek.comhttp://powerpivottwins.com/http://powerpivotpro.com/

General Sitehttp://www.powerpivot-info.com/

Online PowerPivot Labshttps://cmg.vlabcenter.com/default.aspx?moduleid=ad3bd3e9-8d2b-498d-94fa-e41e1b09730d

Thank You!