This course is aimed at business analysts and other professionals who use Excel 2010, and who want to learn to develop models in PowerPivot. Some previous knowledge of Excel is required but no previous knowledge of PowerPivot is necessary.

What you will learn

The course agenda is as follows:   

• What is PowerPivot and why should I use it?
• Introducing the PowerPivot UI
• PowerPivot basic concepts: tables, columns, relationships and measures
• Loading data into PowerPivot
• Interacting with PowerPivot from Excel using PivotTables
• Basic DAX: creating simple calculated columns and measures
• Modelling data for PowerPivot
• Intermediate DAX: aggregating data with SUM(), SUMX() and other functions
• Advanced DAX: evaluation contexts and an introduction to the CALCULATE() function

• More Advanced DAX: using the CALCULATE() function in measures
• Mastering Excel: advanced PivotTables and other tools and techniques for analysing data in PowerPivot models
• Using the Excel cube functions to query PowerPivot models
• Writing time intelligence calculations in DAX
• Visualisation techniques for data in PowerPivot
• PowerPivot for Sharepoint, on-premises and in Office 365

Key benefits

This course will enable you to build your own PowerPivot models, create calculations using DAX and build a complete reporting solution using Excel 2010 and Sharepoint 2010.

 

This course is level 400+ and targets the sweet spot between designing for performance and maintaining performance and is therefore relevant to Architects, Developers and DBAs alike, and as for Consultants… you will be guaranteed a brand new power-tool in the tool box.

What you will learn

You will learn how to use xPerf and xEvents to scientifically measure, diagnose and resolve performance and scalability issues, covering both SQL Server and the code that accesses the database.

 While the curriculum assumes you already familiar with basic indexing strategies and query tuning, you will learn more about the internals of query execution and good join strategies. The course will cover tuning patterns that you can apply to proactively make your designs scalable before any nasty surprises happen.   The course will provide insights into spinlocks, latching, hardware-specific tricks and other more obscure areas of SQL Server so you are armed to take on the hardest tuning challenges.

The course agenda is as follows:  

Module 1:

• Single Threaded Optimisation
• Workload Classification
• Join algorithms (re)visited
• Query pattern and expected behaviours
• Measuring CPU time and basic Xperf skills

Module 2:

• Stack walking and symbol resolution
• Classifying time outside the database (.NET and other code)
• Digging into strange wait types
• Getting I/O right
• Getting Networking right

Module 3:

• Multi threaded Optimisation
• Thread Bottlenecks and shared context
• Allocations and transaction log file optimisation
• Spinlocks and classification
• What is CXPACKET? When should you worry?
• Avoiding shared context in SQL Server

Module 4:

• Advanced Xperf Configuration
• Bad Drivers: Troubleshooting DPC/ISR issues
• Affinity masks and cache coherency
• NUMA optimisations

Key Benefits

This course will provide SQL Server professionals with deep insights into performance tuning techniques.

This course aimed at intermediate-to-experienced Analysis Services developers, looking at more advanced cube design topics and query performance tuning.

What you will learn

Day 1

• Designing a data warehouse for use with Analysis Services
• Dimension design: designing optimal attribute relationships, when to use parent/child hierarchies and ragged hierarchies

Day 2

• Complex cube modelling: multiple measure groups with different dimensionality and different granularities, many-to-many dimensions
• Securing your cube: administrative security, dimension security, cell security
• Productionisation: understanding processing options, scheduling processing and partition creation, maintenance, monitoring and deployment

Day 3

• Understanding Query Execution: SSAS Architecture, using Profiler, Monitoring your Cube
• Query Performance Tuning – the storage engine: partitioning and aggregation design
• Query Performance Tuning – the formula engine: writing efficient MDX, tuning calculations and queries
• Tuning Processing
• Scale-up, Scale-out and hardware configuration for SSAS

Key benefits

You'll gain a deeper understanding of Analysis Services cube design best practices, and be able to design cubes and tune queries to achieve maximum performance.

The target audience for this course is intermediate SQL Server Integration Services developers (or quick learners) who wish to learn best practices and design patterns, and those who wish upgrade their existing SSIS skills to 2012.

What you will learn

Introduction

• Training overview, expectations, and introductions.

Metadata Collection

• Using SSIS as an enterprise metadata collector. Automate the execution and collection of SQL Server performance metrics in the enterprise.

SSIS 2012 Catalog Execution

• A look “under the hood” of the SSIS 2012 Catalog and SSISDB database. Learn where the SSIS Catalog metadata resides in SSISDB, see examples of custom reporting, and examine ways to extend functionality with custom objects.

Scripting in SSIS

• Leveraging the Script Task to perform operations inside SSIS.
• Using the Script Task and .Net to interface with external operations.

Designing Custom Tasks

• Take SSIS scripting to the next level by building custom SSIS tasks in .Net.

Advanced Parameter and Variable Management

• Using the new Project and Package Parameters.
• Plumb the depths of the SSIS Expression Language.

SSIS Connections and Configurations Management

• Using Environments in the SSIS 2012 Catalog.
• Custom Connections Management.

Data Cleansing

• Using the new Data Cleansing Transform. 

Advanced Loop Containers

• Typical (and atypical) uses of For Loop and Foreach Loop Containers. 

Enterprise Data Integration Lifecycle Management

• SSIS Project and Package Deployment Models.
• Security, Deployment, Execution, Monitoring, and Maintenance.

Advanced SSIS Messaging 

• Impact of Deployment Model on project and package messaging.
• Events and Event Handlers.
• Logging, Reports, Configurations, and Environments.

ETL Design Patterns

• Execution Patterns.
• Custom Logging Patterns.

ETL Instrumentation Patterns.

• Data Warehouse ETL Patterns
• Dimension Loads.
• Fact Loads.
• Incremental Loads.
• Change Detection methods.
• Lookup Patterns.

Data Integration Automation

• Package Generation in .Net.
• Business Intelligence Markup Language (Biml).

Key benefits

At the conclusion of the training, attendees will have been exposed to:

• New features in SSIS 2012
• Advanced patterns for loading data warehouses
• Error handling
• The Project Deployment Model
• Scripting in SSIS
• Designing Custom Tasks
• Managing, monitoring, and administering SSIS in the enterprise

This course is aimed at BI professionals who want to develop SQL Server Analysis Services 2012 Tabular models. No previous knowledge of Analysis Services is required.

What you will learn

The course outline, in detail, is as follows:   

Day 1 

• SQL Server 2012 Analysis Services: understanding and comparing Tabular and Multidimensional models, and when to use which type of model
• Introducing the SQL Server Data Tools development environment
• SSAS Tabular basic concepts: tables, columns, relationships and measures
• Loading data into SSAS Tabular
• Basic DAX: creating simple calculated columns and measures
• Handling regular and parent/child hierarchies
• Intermediate DAX: aggregating data with SUM(), SUMX() and other functions
• Advanced DAX: evaluation contexts and an introduction to the CALCULATE() function

    
Day 2

• More Advanced DAX: using the CALCULATE() function in measures
• DAX Queries
• Configuring Tabular models for use with Power View
• Implementing security on a Tabular model, including dynamic security
• Writing time intelligence calculations in DAX
• Processing and partitioning
• Real-time BI with DirectQuery

Key benefits

This course will enable you to build your own SSAS 2012 Tabular models and create queries and calculations using DAX.
 

This course designed for BI professionals with some experience of SQL Server Analysis Services cubes, but little or no experience of MDX, will teach the fundamentals of the MDX query language and show how to implement common queries and calculations.

What you will learn

The course agenda is as follows:

Day 1

• What is MDX and why should I use it?
• Understanding the structure of a cube: recognizing cubes, measure groups, dimensions and hierarchies
• Understanding the concepts of members, tuples and sets
• Writing simple queries: using SQL Management studio to write SELECT statements
• Creating simple calculated members: when to use query, session and cube-scoped calculations, using simple MDX expressions and functions

Day 2

• Standard Calculations: looking at the best ways to implement common calculations, such as time series, market shares and rankings
• Using set functions: using common MDX functions such as Crossjoin, Filter, Order, Generate to create more complex queries
• Advanced concepts: autoexists, solve order and subselects

Day 3

• MDX Script Assignments: making scoped assignments, understanding how assignments affect aggregation, using assignments with calculated members
• MDX for Reporting Services
• Performance Tuning and Troubleshooting: using Profiler, building aggregations, functions to avoid

Key benefits

This course will enable you to write your own MDX queries for reports (for example in SQL Server Reporting Services), and add value to your existing cube by creating new MDX calculations on it.