SUMMARY:   This scenario-based presentation details how to use the Business Intelligence Development Studio (BIDS) to develop and deploy Analysis Services projects and to use the SQL Server Management Studio to manage the objects derived from these projects. AUDIENCE:   Data architects, business intelligence/data warehouse specialists, DBAs and SQL Server 2005 administrators. PREREQUISITES:   Completion of our Data Warehouse Fundamentals course or equivalent knowledge. DURATION:   4 days. APPROACH:   Lecture and hands-on (about 70%). OBJECTIVES:   Upon completion of this presentation, the delegate should be competent to: Build and deploy Analysis Services projects Use Data Sources/Data Source Views Design dimensions and measure groups for building, modifying and browsing OLAP cubes Develop objects for handling unique financial analysis (e.g., KPIs) Enhance query performance via aggregations and user hierarchies Tailor cubes using multi-dimensional expressions (MDX) and other design techniques Summarise SSAS good practices and performance techniques Etc. COURSE CONTENT:   REVIEW OF BI TERMS & CONCEPTS The DW Environment The DW Computing Context What is a Data Warehouse? What is a Data Mart? What is Business Intelligence How do OLTP & OLAP Differ? What is Data Mining? Operational vs. Historical Data Dimensional Modelling Some Dimensional Modelling Characteristics What is a Star Schema? What is a Snowflake Schema? What is Metadata? SSAS ARCHITECTURE TERMS & CONCEPTS SSAS & Microsoft BI Platform Unified Dimensional Model (UDM) Data Sources Data Source Views Cubes Other UDM Objects An SSAS Cube Instance (e.g., Imports) SSAS Dimension Concepts SSAS Dimension Relationships Measures vs. Measure Groups SSAS Measures vs. Measure Groups SSAS Calculations Key Performance Indicators SSAS Actions SSAS Partitions Perspectives CUBE DEVELOPMENT Prepare to develop a cube Cube creation Generate a schema Process and browse a cube DIMENSION DESIGN Create a standard dimension Data Source/Data Source Views (DSVs) Dimension Wizard Time dimension Parent-child dimension MEASURES AND MEASURE GROUPS Add measure groups to a cube Build a cube Semiadditive measure aggregation Derive distinct counts Simple calculations FINANCIAL MEASURE GROUPS Develop Account dimension Develop nonadditive financial measures AGGREGATIONS & HIERARCHIES Aggregation design User hierarchies Aggregation optimisation INTRODUCTION TO MDX What is MDX? Tuple-based calculated members MDX queries Custom members MDX scripts Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) SSAS BEST PRACTICES & PERFORMANCE Proactive caching Cube partitions Attribute and user hierarchy optimisation And more GOW/08