comparison of Excel add-ins and other solutions for implementing data mining or machine learning solutions on the Microsoft stack - includes coverage of XLMiner, Analysis Services Data Mining and PredixionSoftware

1. Machine Learning
Smackdown
Lynn Langit
May 7-9, 2014 | San Jose, CA

2. Agenda
Goal: Survey ML tools/methods that you can actually use on the Microsoft stack
• Definitions
• Tools I – Understanding 3rd party Excel Machine Learning Add-ins
• Tools II – Using the Microsoft SQL Server SSAS & Data Mining Add-ins
• Tools III – Using Predixion Software
• Recap and Call To Action
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3. Terms
Goal: Create common definitions of key terms
• Business Analytics
• Query
• Aggregation
• Predictive Analytics
• Machine Learning
• Statistics
• Unsupervised Data Mining
• Supervised Data Mining
• Other
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4. What does the market look like now?
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Regular Analytics
Unsupervised DM
Supervised DM
Machine Learning

5. CRISP DM Lifecycle applied to ML
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6. Machine Learning – an Example
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7. About 3rd party Excel Machine Learning Add-ins
What are they?
Toolbars in Excel – many different offerings
• XLMiner
• StatsMiner
• XLStat
• RExcel
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Important: All of these tools assume expert statistical knowledge

8. An aside…about R Language
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9. Viewing 3rd Party
Add-ins XLMiner

10. About the Data Mining Add-ins For Excel
What is it?
Free add-ins which add menus to use SSAS Analysis Services Data Mining
• Table Analysis Tools for Excel
• Use mining models with Excel data or external data
• Data Mining Client for Excel
• Create/test/explore/manage Mining Models
• Data Mining Templates for Visio
• Render/share mining models as Visio Drawings
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Important: Use requires connection to SQL Server 2012 SSAS

11. Using the Data
Mining Add-ins for
Excel
DEMO

12. Checking Understanding…
Data Mining Structures
• Containers for cleansed source data
Data Mining Models
• Child containers for source data plus one
mining algorithm
• SSAS Algorithms - Clustering, Time
Series Prediction, Market-Basket
Analysis, Text Mining and Neural
Networks
Model Verification, Processing and Usage
Tools
• Model query, Model processing
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13. About Predixion Software
What is it?
Suite of tools for predictive analytics
• Insight Now
• Use mining models with Excel data or external data
• Insight Analytics
• Create/test/explore/manage Mining Models
• Insight Workbench
• Prepare data for model creation
• Web-based Viewers and Tools
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Important: Runs as EITHER connected to SSAS on premise OR
Connected to Predixion’s cloud-based servers

14. Using Predixion
Software
DEMO

15. 16

16. Understanding options…
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Add-in
Server
Required
Complexity
of install
Other
Cost of
Add-in
Cost of
Solution
XLMiner none easy Assumes stats expertise $$ $$
RExcel none easy Assumes R expertise $ $
Data Mining Add-ins SQL Server SSAS medium Designed for single user 0 $$$
Predixion on premise SQL Express easy Requires local R install 0 $$-$$$
Predixion on premise SQL Server SSAS medium Your data is stored locally 0 $$$$
Predixion cloud none easy Supports SSAS Data
Mining AND R Language
0 $$-$$$

17. 18
Machine Learning Skills
Data Scientist
Store
Clean
Aggregate
ML Engineers
Selects Libraries
Applies
Algorithms
Creates
Solutions
ML Researcher
Creates Algorithms

18. Learning Paths – ML Developers
Learn a language… DMX, PAX, R, Mahout, Julia
Pick your IDE, tools… SSAS, Predixion, R-Studio, Wekka
Pick a problem space… Marketing, Health, Financial
Find (purchase)/gather/prepare some data…
GO!
 (Visualize results)
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19. Call to Action – ML Decision Makers
• Pick one or more solutions
• Gather source data
• Prepare source data
• Try out some data mining
algorithms
Evaluate it Understand it
• Understand tooling costs
• Understand learning costs
• Understand data gathering costs
• Understand data preparation costs
• Understand data cleansing costs
• Understand value of results
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21. Thank
You SoCalDevGal on