Exam Ref 70-768 Developing SQL Data Models, First Edition

Exam Ref 70-768 Developing SQL Data Models, First Edition

by Stacia Varga
Released May 2017
Publisher(s): Microsoft Press
ISBN: 9781509305179

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Book description

Prepare for Microsoft Exam 70-768–and help demonstrate your real-world mastery of Business Intelligence (BI) solutions development with SQL Server 2016 Analysis Services (SSAS), including modeling and queries. Designed for experienced IT professionals ready to advance their status, Exam Ref focuses on the critical thinking and decision-making acumen needed for success at the MCSA level.

Focus on the expertise measured by these objectives:

• Design a multidimensional BI semantic model

• Design a tabular BI semantic model

• Develop queries using Multidimensional Expressions (MDX) and Data Analysis Expressions (DAX)

• Configure and maintain SSAS


This Microsoft Exam Ref:

• Organizes its coverage by exam objectives

• Features strategic, what-if scenarios to challenge you

• Assumes you are a database or BI professional with experience creating models, writing MDX or DAX queries, and using SSAS

Table of contents

  1. Cover
  2. Title Page
  3. Copyright Page
  4. Contents at a glance
  5. Contents
  6. Introduction
    1. Organization of this book
    2. Microsoft certifications
    3. Acknowledgments
    4. Microsoft Virtual Academy
    5. Quick access to online references
    6. Errata, updates, & book support
    7. We want to hear from you
    8. Stay in touch
  7. Important: How to use this book to study for the exam
  8. Chapter 1. Design a multidimensional business intelligence (BI) semantic model
    1. Skill 1.1: Create a multidimensional database by using Microsoft SQL Server Analysis Services (SSAS)
      1. Design, develop, and create multidimensional databases
      2. Select a storage model
    2. Skill 1.2: Design and implement dimensions in a cube
      1. Select an appropriate dimension model, such as fact, parent-child, roleplaying, reference, data mining, many-to-many, and slowly changing dimension
      2. Implement a dimension type
      3. Define attribute relationships
    3. Skill 1.3: Implement measures and measure groups in a cube
      1. Design and implement measures, measure groups, granularity, calculated measures, and aggregate functions
      2. Define semi-additive behavior
    4. Chapter summary
    5. Thought experiment
    6. Thought experiment answers
  9. Chapter 2. Design a tabular BI semantic model
    1. Skill 2.1: Design and publish a tabular data model
      1. Design measures, relationships, hierarchies, partitions, perspectives, and calculated columns
      2. Relationships
      3. Create a time table
      4. Publish from Microsoft Visual Studio
      5. Import from Microsoft PowerPivot
      6. Select a deployment option, including Processing Option, Transactional Deployment, and Query Mode
    2. Skill 2.2: Configure, manage, and secure a tabular model
      1. Configure tabular model storage and data refresh
      2. Configure refresh interval settings
      3. Configure user security and permissions
      4. Configure row-level security
    3. Skill 2.3: Develop a tabular model to access data in near real time
      1. Use DirectQuery with Oracle, Teradata, Excel, and PivotTables
      2. Convert in-memory queries to DirectQuery
    4. Chapter summary
    5. Thought experiment
    6. Thought experiment answer
  10. Chapter 3. Develop queries using Multidimensional Expressions (MDX) and Data Analysis Expressions (DAX)
    1. Skill 3.1: Create basic MDX queries
      1. Implement basic MDX structures and functions, including tuples, sets, and TopCount
    2. Skill 3.2: Implement custom MDX solutions
      1. Create custom MDX or logical solutions for pre-prepared case tasks or business rules
      2. Define a SCOPE statement
    3. Skill 3.3: Create formulas by using the DAX language
      1. Use the EVALUATE and CALCULATE functions
      2. Filter DAX queries
      3. Create calculated measures
      4. Perform analysis by using DAX
    4. Chapter summary
    5. Thought experiment
    6. Thought experiment answer
  11. Chapter 4. Configure and maintain SQL Server Analysis Services (SSAS)
    1. Skill 4.1: Plan and deploy SSAS
      1. Configure memory limits
      2. Configure Non-Union Memory Access (NUMA)
      3. Configure disk layout
      4. Determine SSAS instance placement
    2. Skill 4.2: Monitor and optimize performance
      1. Monitor performance and analyze query plans by using Extended Events and Profiler
      2. Identify bottlenecks in SSAS queries
      3. Monitor processing and query performance
      4. Resolve performance issues
      5. Configure usability limits
      6. Optimize and manage model design
    3. Skill 4.3: Configure and manage processing
      1. Configure partition processing
      2. Configure dimension processing
      3. Use Process Default, Process Full, Process Clear, Process Data, Process Add, Process Update, Process Index, Process Structure, and Process Clear Structure processing methods
      4. Configure Parallel, Sequential, and Writeback processing settings
    4. Skill 4.4: Create Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) and translations
      1. Create KPIs in multidimensional models and tabular models
      2. Configure KPI options, including Associated measure group, Value Expression, Goal Expression, Status, Status expression, Trend, Trend expression, and Weight
      3. Create and develop translations
    5. Chapter summary
    6. Thought experiment
    7. Thought experiment answer
  12. Index
  13. About the author
  14. Hear about it first
  15. Visit us today
  16. Survey
  17. Code Snippets

Product information

  • Title: Exam Ref 70-768 Developing SQL Data Models, First Edition
  • Author(s): Stacia Varga
  • Release date: May 2017
  • Publisher(s): Microsoft Press
  • ISBN: 9781509305179