Professional Microsoft® SQL Server® Analysis Services 2008 with MDX

Chapter 16. Data Mining

Not everyone is well versed in the area of data mining, so this chapter starts straight away with what data mining is and what it can be used for. So, without further ado, data mining is the process of applying algorithms to data sets with the goal of exposing patterns in the data that would not otherwise be noticed. The reason such patterns would not otherwise be noticed owes to the complexity and volume of data within which the patterns are embedded. Another, less academic, way to look at data mining is as a technology that can be used to answer questions like the following:

• When customers visit our corporate web site, what paths are they most likely to take when navigating through the site?

• When a $10 credit card transaction is processed at a gas station immediately followed by a $600 purchase on the same account from an electronics store in a different zip code, should a red flag be raised?

• For optimal sales revenue generation in a grocery store, which products should be placed in close proximity to one another?

• What additional products can we recommend to our online shoppers that will help increase our revenue?

To address these types of questions, and many others, you turn to data mining technology. In this chapter you learn about data mining and how it helps you answer questions by creating and using data mining models and applications. You will understand the data mining algorithms supported by SQL Server Analysis Services 2008 and how they can be used. ...