Professional Microsoft® SQL Server® Analysis Services 2008 with MDX

16.4. Working with Mining Models

SQL Server Analysis Services 2008 provides two types of mining models: the relational mining model and the OLAP mining model. Relational mining models are created directly from the relational data source and OLAP mining models are created from an existing cube or part of a cube. Use of the nine types of data mining algorithms is made within the context of the relational or OLAP mining models. In this chapter you learn both these models by creating mining models using a few algorithms and analyzing the results.

16.4.1. Relational Mining Model

The Adventure Works DW 2008 sample relational database has specific patterns that can be used to demonstrate the various algorithms available in Analysis Services 2008. In this section you learn how to create and analyze a decision tree model and a clustering model. Obviously, you need to create a new mining model to explore and analyze the information. When you build a mining model, Analysis Services 2008 retrieves data from the data source and stores it in a proprietary format. Building several mining models from the same data set will result in redundant data stored in Analysis Services 2008. In order to share data across several mining models, Analysis Services 2008 stores the information about the data that can be shared across several mining models in an object called a mining structure. Internally the information read from relational data sources is stored in a cube in order to efficiently retrieve ...