E-Book Overview
SQL Server 2008 is the latest version of Microsoft’s popular SQL Server database product. It has been very well received since its release in July 2008, most notably for its greatly increased reporting and analytical capabilities over previous versions. There is a strong reader demand for information related to these aspects of SQL Server. This book aims to provide developers and their managers with a complete reference to building reporting dashboards that are able to assimilate information from various sources and integrate with other Microsoft technologies such as SharePoint and PerformancePoint to present that information in flexible ways. It is a generalist guide, and teaches techniques that can be applied to a wide range of reader situations.
E-Book Content
CYAN MAGENTA YELLOW BLACK PANTONE 123 C Books for professionals by professionals ® Pro SQL Server 2008 Analytics: Dear Reader, Brian Paulen Jeff Finken Companion eBook See last page for details on $10 eBook version When implementing an analytics solution, the primary goal is to give corporate decision makers and information workers the right information, in the right format, at the right time. This enables them to take actions that will lead to the attainment of corporate objectives. Attaining this goal requires that companies meet the challenges of clearly understanding what metrics are critical to grow and manage the business, selecting and implementing appropriate technologies, and recognizing that analytics initiatives require continual improvement to keep up with changes in the business. In this book, our goal is to provide you with an incremental approach that allows you to effectively leverage the core Microsoft business intelligence (BI) platform made up of SQL Server 2008 and SharePoint to deliver a comprehensive analytics solution. While many analytics books focus solely on the technical components that make up reports and dashboards, we also explore the business approach necessary to define good metrics, the range of available Microsoft technologies, and implementation suggestions that will help to ensure the analytics initiative is a success. This combined functional and technical approach will provide you with the breadth and depth necessary to recognize full value from your investment. The book surrounds technical information on the Microsoft BI platform, especially SQL Server 2008, with the functional information necessary to successfully implement an analytics solution and realize its true value. Specifically, we will begin by providing information on project preparation and overall keys to success. Subsequent chapters focus on how to implement the platform, and we will finish with implementation suggestions and information on how we have successfully implemented solutions for past customers. We hope you enjoy this book and are able to take full advantage of the information it provides. Brian Paulen and Jeff Finken Madrona Solutions Group Pro SQL Server 2008 Analysis Services SQL Server 2008 Analytics Delivering Sales and Marketing Dashboards Create at-a-glance dashboards showing key performance indicators to guide your business to success Pro SQL Server 2008 Analytics ISBN 978-1-4302-1928-6 54999 US $49.99 Shelve in Databases/SQL Server Paulen, Finken SOURCE CODE ONLINE User level: Intermediate Pro THE APRESS ROADMAP Accelerated SQL Server 2008 www.apress.com Companion eBook Available Pro SQL Server 2008 Analytics Delivering Sales and Marketing Dashboards The EXPERT’s VOIce ® in SQL Server Brian Paulen and Jeff Finken Foreword by Bryan Nielson Director, Worldwide Product Marketing Microsoft Dynamics CRM and CRM Analytics Microsoft Corpo