Business intelligence armoury – what’s the best tool
SharePoint Saturday Cincinnati 2012
1. SharePoint Saturday Cincinnati
October 27, 2012
Decoding the Business
Intelligence Alphabet Soup
SSRS, KPI, OLAP, BISM and more!
Scott Brickey
Strategic Data Systems
2. About Us
SDS Custom SharePoint Solutions
Agile development and SharePoint coding experience to create an optimal
solution for your unique SharePoint application and integration needs.
· Workflow & InfoPath Forms for Business Process
Automation
· SharePoint Reports & BI Integration
· Portals & Collaboration
· Content Management
Agile Practices for proven faster delivery, higher quality, & increased business value.
7. Data Silos
• Where does data live?
– Line of business systems (OLTP)
• Databases : SQL, Oracle, etc
• Data Exports : CSV
– Excel files
– SharePoint Lists
• Also accessible via RSS, OData
– Elsewhere
• RSS, Atom, OData, etc
10. Why Reporting Services?
• Free
– Limited to local SQL Express data only
• Except when using linked servers
– No scheduled/unattended reports
• Already in use
• Convert Access reports, train report builders
• No dependency on SharePoint editions
• Reuse your SharePoint portal
– Intranet, Extranet, website
11. Reporting Services Native
Mode (2005)
Minimally Integrated
• Install from RSWebParts.cab
– C:Program Files (x86)Microsoft SQL Server110ToolsReporting
ServicesSharePointRSWebParts.cab
• Integration via Web Parts
– Report Explorer
• Link to Report Builder
– Report Viewer
• same as the ReportViewer ASP.Net control
• Basically an IFrame
• Contents stored on SSRS
• Client connects directly to SSRS
– Firewall and other considerations
12. Reporting Services Integrated
Mode (2008 & 2008 R2)
Deeply Integrated – Single Dedicated Report Server
• SSRS Configuration SharePoint Mode
• Central Admin General Application Settings
• Content stored in SharePoint
– Utilize SharePoint‟s security model, Versioning, Approvals, Workflows
– Logging, AAM‟s, Claims based auth
• RS Content Types
– Report Data Source *.RSDS connection string
– Report Builder Model (DataSet) *.RSD query
– Report Builder Model (Semantic) *.SMDL
– Report Builder Report *.RDL
• Remove the Report Explorer web part (unnecessary)
• Client connects THROUGH SharePoint (double/triple hop)
13. Reporting Services 2012
Completely Integrated – Scalable Dedicated Servers
• SSRS Configuration SharePoint Mode
• Central Admin Service Application
– Scalable Architecture
• Scheduled Report Jobs
– Data Driven subscription
– Report snapshots for historical data
• Power View
– Interactive Designer
– Timeline “Play” button
– (more on this later)
14. Reporting Services
Data Sources
• Microsoft • Extensible / Standards
– SQL Server Database – OLE DB
– SQL Server Analysis
– ODBC
– SQL Azure
– SharePoint List – XML
– SSRS Report Model
– BI Semantic Model for Power View
• Third Party
– Oracle
– SAP NetWeaver BI
– Hyperion Essbase
15. Reporting Services
Data Sets
• Single query (fields, filters)
• Single source
• Data provider specific language
– TSQL, MDX, XMLA
• Dataset (file) security
20. Reporting Services
Data Models
• Data Models are SSRS Data Sources
• Describes data and relationships
• Automatically generated from SQL Database or OLAP Cube
– Exploring the tables, views, fields, relationships
• Model Item-level security permissions
• SQL Express NOT supported
• Click Through Reports
41. Excel : Usage
• Data Connections
– Fairly easy to create
– Can be centralized in a SharePoint connection library
• Permissions, Version History, Content Approval
• Good for testing
– Designed for single source (table/view, file, etc)
• SQL : Relationships are difficult (no GUI)
• No way to query ACROSS data sources
42. Excel : Usage
• Excel formatting options
– Numbers, Currency, Date/Time, etc
• Easy and intuitive
– On the fly changes (filters, slicers, etc)
43. SharePoint : Excel
Services
• Web Parts
– Render Excel document in web part
– Limit access with Named Items
– Relate web parts with filters using Web Part Connections
• Office Web Applications
– View/Edit Excel document in web browser
47. PerformancePoint
Dashboards
• Dashboards are web part pages
• Dashboards are composed of Items and Reports
– Created using PerformancePoint Data Connections
– Stored individually, to be reused
48. PerformancePoint
Dashboard Items
• Data Sources
• Key Performance Indicators (objectives)
– Actual vs Target (goal)
• Indicators
– Gauges, Progress Bars, Stoplights, etc
• Filters
• Scorecards
– Hierarchical grouping of KPIs
62. BI : Letting go of the past
• Excel
– Dominant tool for Agile BI
– Known limitations
• 2003 65,536 rows x 256 columns
• 2007/2010 1,048,576 rows x 16,384 columns
• SSAS
– MDX and TSQL are very different
– Different toolset
• Computing resources are underutilized
– Multiple Processors, Multiple Cores
– Gigabytes of memory
63. PowerPivot : Back to the
Future
• Vertipaq Engine
• Keep ALL the data
– Query data ONCE
– Utilize compression
– Relate data ACROSS data source
– Data is cached within the document
64. PowerPivot : Excel 2010,
SharePoint Enterprise, and SQL
Enterprise
• NO row limit (technically)
– Only limited by available RAM
• No cube processing
• No penalty for new calculations
• Add-in for Excel
• Add-in for SharePoint Excel Services, which uses special SQL
Analysis instance („POWERPIVOT‟)
– Data caching
– Automatic background refreshing of data
– New SharePoint list views / visualizations
65. PowerPivot : Data Sources
• Databases
– SQL Database, Analysis Services, Access
– SQL Azure
– Oracle, Teradata, Sybase, Informix, DB2
– OLE DB / ODBC
• Excel File
• SSRS Report
• Azure DataMarket
– https://datamarket.azure.com/browse
• Atom Data Feed
• CSV
72. PowerPivot
Software Requirements
• Excel 2010
• SharePoint : Enterprise (Excel Services)
– Excel Services Application
– PowerPivot Service Application
– Secure Store Service
– Claims to Windows Token Service
• SQL : Dev, Eval, Enterprise, Data Center
– RS in SharePoint [Integrated] mode
– Analysis Services : SQL Server PowerPivot for SharePoint
74. SQL Analysis Services : OLAP
• First appeared in SQL 2005
• OLTP Data Warehouse Cube
– Facts (Measures) and Dimensions
– Data Transformations
– Cube Processing
• MOLAP (MDX) Queries
– Known or expected lookups, i.e. Ʃ ($)
• ROLAP (TSQL) Queries
– Ad-hoc calculations
75. SSAS Tabular Mode – PowerPivot for
ALL
• SSAS was designed for limited resources
– SSAS 2005 hardware requirements
• HDD: 90 MB, CPU: P3 GHz, RAM: 1 GB
– SSAS PowerPivot hardware requirements
• HDD: 80 GB, CPU: 16x3 GHz, RAM: 8-128 GB
• Outdated resource constraints cause usability constraints today
76. SQL Analysis Services :
Tabular
• PowerPivot for the Server
• Excel File -> Business Intelligence Model file (*.BIM)
• Two data query options
– Vertipaq / In-Memory mode
– DirectQuery mode
77. Building your BIM
• SQL Data Tools (formerly BIDS)
• Create BIM from scratch
– Similar experience as PowerPivot for Excel
– Some extra features (permissions, processing mode, etc)
• Import Excel PowerPivot file
78. BI Semantic Model
Connection Files to Tabular
Data
• Office Data Connection (ODC) files
– Open with Excel
– NOT compatible with tabular data
• BI Semantic Mode (BISM) files
– Open with Excel and PowerPivot
– Connect to SSAS Tabular OR Excel PowerPivot file
86. Final Thoughts
• BI starts with the end user
– Connect to the data, wherever it is
• BI should be easy to share
– Available to the users, wherever they are
• BI should be agile
– Requirements change, mistakes happen
• BI should be promotable
– Optimize the use of resources
88. Acronyms
• BIDS Business Intelligence Development Studio
• BIM Business Intelligence Model (Tabular mode)
• BISM Business Intelligence Semantic Model
• DAX Data Analysis eXpression
• DMX Data Mining eXpression (OLAP mode)
• KPI Key Performance Indicator
• MDX Multi Dimensional eXpression
• MOLAP Multidimensional Online Analytical Processing
89. Acronyms
• PPS Performance Point Services
• OLTP OnLine Transaction Processing
• OLAP OnLine Analytical Processing
• ROLAP Relational Online Analytical Processing
• SSRS Sql Server Reporting Services
• SSAS Sql Server Analysis Services
• SSIS Sql Server Integration Services
• TSQL Transact Structured Query Language
• XMLA XML for Analysis
-- OR –
Multidimensional eXpressions Language
90. Supported Data Sources
• Reporting Services
– SQL, SSAS, SQL Azure, SharePoint, SSRS Report Model, BI
Semantic Model for Power View
– Oracle, SAP NetWeaver BI, Hyperion Essbase
– OLE DB, ODBC, XML
• PowerView
– BISM
– Excel PowerPivot document
92. Supported Data Sources
• Visio
– Excel workbook
– Access database
– SharePoint list
– SQL database
– OLE DB, ODBC
93. Supported Data Sources
• PerformancePoint
– SQL Database
– SQL Analysis Services
– Excel workbook
– SharePoint list
94. Supported Data Sources
• SSAS Tabular Mode
– Relational Database: SQL, Azure, Access, Oracle, Teradata, Sybase,
Informix, DB2, OLE DB, ODBC
– Multidimensional Database: SSAS
– Data Feeds: SSRS, Azure DataMarket, Data Feed (Atom)
– Files: Excel, TXT/CSV
• BISM
– Excel PowerPivot document
– SSAS Tabular Model
95. SharePoint Features, Content
Types, and File Extensions
• SP Foundation
– Office Data Connection (Excel, Visio) ODC
– Universal Data Connection (InfoPath) UDCX
• SC : Report Server Integration Feature
– Report Data Source RSDS
– Report Builder Model (Data Set) RSD
– Report Builder Model (Semantic Model) SMDL
– Report Builder Report RDL
• SC : PerformancePoint Services Site Collection Features
– PerformancePoint Data Source PPSDC
• SC : PowerPivot Feature Integration for Site Collections
– BI Semantic Model Connection BISM
– Data Service Document ATOMSVC
• SC : Power View Integration Feature
– Power View Report RDLX
96. File Types and Extensions
By authoring tool
• SQL Server Analysis Services / Data Tools
– Business Intelligence Model BIM
• Power View
– Power View Report RDLX
97. References
• Requirements for SSRS (2008 R2) in Integrated Mode
http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/bb283190.aspx
• Requirements for SQL 2012 (PowerPivot and SSRS) in Integrated Mode
http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/ee210640.aspx
• Installing SSRS Integrated Mode for SharePoint 2013
http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/jj219068.aspx
• Hardware Requirements for PowerPivot
http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/ee210640.aspx
• System Requirements for Power View
http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/hh560549.aspx
• PowerPivot BI Semantic Model Connection
http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/gg471575.aspx
• SSRS Subscriptions and Delivery
http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/ms159762.aspx
99. MORE INFORMATION
SDS SharePoint Webcasts:
• Managing Content and Maximizing Search, 11/2
• Sharing Business Insights – Integrating with Business Intelligence Reports, 11/30
• Visit http://sds-consulting.com to register
• SharePoint Library for various components.
http://SDSSharepointLibrary.codeplex.com/
SharePoint Lunch and Learns
Publications on the SDS website and blog
http://sds-consulting.com
http://www.sbrickey.com
100. ScarePint
Right here at the UC Bearcat Lounge immediately following
the closing session
Generously sponsored by