In 2020, the world celebrated the brand new 12 months with many uncertainties. Effectively, life is filled with uncertainties, however, this one was very completely different. The world was going through a brand new pandemic that by no means skilled earlier than. The primary COVID19 case in New Zealand was confirmed in February 2020. In March 2020 your complete nation went to lockdown for the primary time. The world was experiencing a large menace altering everybody’s lives. I used to be no completely different. Every single day was beginning with unhealthy information. A relative handed away; a buddy bought the virus; the purchasers put the initiatives on maintain and many others. Nothing was trying regular anymore. You possibly can’t even go to get a correct haircut, as a result of everyone seems to be in lockdown. That is me attempting to smile after getting a selfmade haircut. I guess a lot of you will have performed the identical factor.
Someday, I checked my e-mail and noticed a message from Packt Publishing. They wished to see if I’m serious about writing a ebook about Energy BI. That was a chunk of fine information after a very long time. I all the time wished to write down a ebook about Energy BI. Certainly, I tried for the primary time in 2016, however I couldn’t handle to get my geese in a row to understand the publishers’ consideration.
I used to be not unfamiliar with writing books; certainly, I wrote my first ebook again in 2006 about Multimedia Functions in Persian. One in all my passions in life is listening to music. And CDs have been probably the most accessible music supply with high-quality sound. I recall I saved cash for some months, and I purchased a Discman to hearken to the music on the go. However CDs are somewhat cumbersome, and you could possibly not have a lot of them in your pocket. So the subsequent challenge was to save lots of much more cash to purchase an MP3 participant. However, changing Audio CDs to MP3 with out compromising quite a bit on the sound high quality was an actual problem for many individuals. And, that was my motive to write down my first ebook in Persian to share my little information with everybody.
Whereas I used to be acquainted with writing books, my earlier expertise was fairly completely different as my ebook was in Persian, my first language. So writing a technical ebook in English could possibly be an actual problem. So, the e-mail from Packt Publishing could possibly be a game-changer in some ways. Now, I had an enormous challenge to cope with; as a substitute of fascinated by all of the unfavourable pandemic information. I made a decision to simply accept the problem and embraced the chance. In Could 2020, I formally began writing my ebook, Skilled Knowledge Modeling with Energy BI. I had lengthy days with an excellent busy schedule for greater than a 12 months. I labored very laborious to handle my duties because the founding father of Knowledge Vizioner and sustain with the product growth, dealing with my consultancy position, writing my ebook and on the identical time making an appropriate work-life steadiness. I labored between 12 to 16 hours a day, together with the weekends. However all of the laborious works paid off after my ebook was revealed in June 2021.
What’s in This Guide for You?
Microsoft Energy BI is among the hottest enterprise intelligence instruments accessible in the marketplace that you need to use in your native machine and the cloud. This ebook might be your information to understanding completely different elements of knowledge modelling, so the main focus of this ebook is to not train you how one can write DAX expressions. For that matter, there are significantly better books on the market that I personally seek advice from on some events. The very best ones for studying DAX, in my view, are:
- Phill Seamark’s books:
- Starting DAX with Energy BI: The SQL Professional’s Information to Higher Enterprise Intelligence
- Professional DAX with Energy BI: Enterprise Intelligence with PowerPivot and SQL Server Evaluation Providers Tabular
- Marco Russo and Alberto Ferrari’s ebook:
- Definitive Information to DAX, The : Enterprise intelligence for Microsoft Energy BI, SQL Server Evaluation Providers, and Excel by Marco Russo and Alberto Ferrari
Whereas my ebook closely makes use of many Energy Question methods, however once more, the primary focus will not be on Energy Question. For studying Energy Question, I counsel studying the next ebook:
To make it clearer, my ebook discusses lots of DAX and Energy Question, however, the main focus of the ebook is to not resolve all modelling challenges solely with Energy Question or DAX. The main target right here is certainly on Energy Question, DAX and lots of different elements of knowledge modelling. As an example, the ebook covers the circulate of knowledge in several layers of Energy BI Desktop; an idea which may look trivial to many readers, however in truth, it’s a essential idea that if we don’t perceive it properly, we can’t create knowledge mannequin. So, the ebook begins discussing some constructing blocks, then it covers many elements of superior knowledge modelling. So, no matter your stage of data, the Skilled Knowledge Modelling with Energy BI has one thing for you.
What this ebook covers
The next sections clarify what the ebook covers in several chapters.
Chapter 1, Introduction to Knowledge Modeling in Energy BI
This chapter briefly describes the completely different functionalities of Energy BI and why knowledge modelling is necessary. This chapter additionally reveals some necessary notes to be thought of round Energy BI licensing, which doubtlessly may have an effect on your knowledge mannequin. This chapter introduces an iterative knowledge modelling method, which ensures an agile Energy BI implementation.
Chapter 2, Knowledge Evaluation eXpressions and Knowledge Modeling
This chapter doesn’t focus on lots of DAX as in elements 3 and 4 of this ebook DAX is closely used to unravel completely different knowledge modelling challenges. Due to this fact, we’ll solely deal with the DAX functionalities which are tougher to know and are very related to knowledge modelling. This chapter begins with a fast introduction to DAX, then we bounce straight to digital tables and time intelligence functionalities and their functions in real-world eventualities.
Chapter 3, Knowledge Preparation in Energy Question Editor
This chapter rapidly explains the parts of Energy Question and their utility. It expresses the emphasis of making question parameters and user-defined features together with real-world use circumstances and eventualities to display how highly effective they’re in constructing rather more versatile and maintainable fashions.
Chapter 4, Getting Knowledge from Varied Sources
This chapter explains getting knowledge from completely different knowledge sources which are extra generally utilized in Energy BI. Then, the significance of knowledge supply certification is defined, which helps you set your expectations on the kind of knowledge you’re going to cope with. That is particularly useful in estimating knowledge modelling efforts. Totally different connection modes are additionally defined on this chapter.
Chapter 5, Widespread Knowledge Preparation Steps
Explains widespread knowledge preparation steps together with real-world hands-on eventualities. A mix of what you will have realized thus far on this ebook with the steps to be mentioned on this chapter offers you a powerful basis to go on to the subsequent chapters and construct your knowledge fashions extra effectively. By studying these functionalities, you’ll be able to cope with lots of completely different eventualities in implementing completely different knowledge fashions.
Chapter 6, Star Schema Preparation in Energy Question Editor
Explains how one can put together your queries primarily based on the star schema knowledge modelling method with real-life eventualities. The Energy Question M language might be closely used on this chapter, so you’ll learn to cope with real-world challenges alongside the way in which. As you will have already realized widespread knowledge preparation steps within the earlier chapter, the vast majority of Energy Question eventualities defined on this chapter might be simpler to implement. You’ll additionally learn to construct dimension tables and reality tables, and how one can denormalize your queries when wanted.
Chapter 7, Knowledge Preparation Widespread Greatest Practices
Explains widespread greatest practices in knowledge preparation. Following these practices will make it easier to construct extra environment friendly knowledge fashions which are simpler to keep up and extra versatile to make modifications to. Following these practices, you can too keep away from widespread errors, which might make your life a lot simpler.
Chapter 8, Knowledge Modeling Parts
Explains knowledge modelling parts from a Energy BI perspective together with actual file examples. On this chapter, we closely use DAX when relevant so having a primary understanding of DAX is important. We even have a whole star schema mannequin in Energy BI. The idea of config tables is roofed, which unlocks lots of prospects in dealing with extra complicated enterprise logic within the knowledge mannequin. The chapter
ends with knowledge modelling naming conventions.
Chapter 9, Star Shema and Knowledge Modeling Widespread Greatest Practices
This chapter explains widespread knowledge modelling greatest practices that can assist you make higher choices whereas constructing your knowledge mannequin to stop going through some identified points down the street. As an example, coping with knowledge kind points in key columns which are utilized in relationships is considerably time-consuming to establish, nevertheless it’s very straightforward to stop. So, realizing knowledge modelling greatest practices helps you save lots of upkeep time and consequently saves you cash.
Chapter 10, Superior Knowledge Modeling Methods
This chapter explains particular modelling methods that resolve particular enterprise necessities. knowledge modeller is one who’s all the time open to new challenges. It’s possible you’ll face a few of the superior enterprise necessities mentioned on this chapter or you might face one thing completely different however comparable. The message we wish to ship on this chapter is to suppose freely when coping with new enterprise challenges and attempt to be
progressive to get one of the best outcomes.
Chapter 11, Row-Stage Safety
Explains how one can implement row-level safety (RLS) in a Energy BI knowledge mannequin. Coping with RLS may be complicated and realizing how one can cope with completely different conditions wants deep information on knowledge modelling and filter propagation ideas. Our purpose on this chapter is to switch that information to you so you’ll be able to design and implement high-performing and low-maintenance knowledge fashions.
Chapter 12, Further Choices and Options Accessible for Knowledge Modeling
This chapter introduces knowledge modelling choices similar to Slowly Altering Dimensions (SCD), Object-Stage Safety (OLS), dataflows, and composite fashions, supplying you with broad publicity to all these subjects.
I Was Not Alone Alongside the Means
All this was not potential with out having the complete assist of my pretty spouse, my pals and my household. I additionally want to present my particular gratefulness to 2 superb professionals:
I additionally thank the next Microsoft MVPs who put their helpful time to assessment my ebook after publication and offered their suggestions:
Thanks everybody on your assist.
