In 2020, the world celebrated the brand new 12 months with many uncertainties. Properly, life is filled with uncertainties, however, this one was very totally different. The world was dealing with 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 the complete nation went to lockdown for the primary time. The world was experiencing an enormous menace altering everybody’s lives. I used to be no totally different. Daily was beginning with unhealthy information. A relative handed away; a pal acquired the virus; the purchasers put the tasks on maintain and so forth. Nothing was wanting regular anymore. You’ll be able to’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 home made haircut. I guess lots of you might have achieved the identical factor.
Someday, I checked my e-mail and noticed a message from Packt Publishing. They needed to see if I’m eager about writing a ebook about Energy BI. That was a chunk of excellent information after a very long time. I at all times needed to put in writing 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 know the publishers’ consideration.
I used to be not unfamiliar with writing books; certainly, I wrote my first ebook again in 2006 about Multimedia Purposes in Persian. Certainly one of 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 take heed to the music on the go. However CDs are slightly cumbersome, and you can not have lots of them in your pocket. So the following mission was to save lots of much more cash to purchase an MP3 participant. However, changing Audio CDs to MP3 with out compromising loads on the sound high quality was an actual problem for many individuals. And, that was my motive to put in writing 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 totally different as my ebook was in Persian, my first language. So writing a technical ebook in English might be an actual problem. So, the e-mail from Packt Publishing might be a game-changer in some ways. Now, I had an enormous mission to cope with; as a substitute of interested by all of the adverse pandemic information. I made a decision to just accept the problem and embraced the chance. In Could 2020, I formally began writing my ebook, Professional Information 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 Information Vizioner and sustain with the product improvement, dealing with my consultancy function, writing my ebook and on the similar time making a suitable work-life stability. 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 printed in June 2021.
What’s in This E-book for You?
Microsoft Energy BI is likely one of the hottest enterprise intelligence instruments accessible available on the market that you need to use in your native machine and the cloud. This ebook shall be your information to understanding totally different facets of information modelling, so the main focus of this ebook is to not educate you the right way to write DAX expressions. For that matter, there are a lot better books on the market that I personally check with on some events. The perfect ones for studying DAX, for my part, 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 just isn’t on Energy Question. For studying Energy Question, I recommend studying the next ebook:
To make it clearer, my ebook discusses numerous DAX and Energy Question, however, the main focus of the ebook is to not clear up all modelling challenges solely with Energy Question or DAX. The main focus right here is certainly on Energy Question, DAX and lots of different facets of information modelling. As an illustration, the ebook covers the stream of information in several layers of Energy BI Desktop; an idea which may look trivial to many readers, however in actual fact, it’s a essential idea that if we don’t perceive it properly, we can’t create a great knowledge mannequin. So, the ebook begins discussing some constructing blocks, then it covers many facets of superior knowledge modelling. So, no matter your degree of data, the Professional Information 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 Information Modeling in Energy BI
This chapter briefly describes the totally different functionalities of Energy BI and why knowledge modelling is essential. This chapter additionally reveals some essential notes to be thought-about 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, Information Evaluation eXpressions and Information Modeling
This chapter doesn’t focus on numerous DAX as in components 3 and 4 of this ebook DAX is closely used to unravel totally different knowledge modelling challenges. Subsequently, we’ll solely give attention to the DAX functionalities which might be tougher to know and are very related to knowledge modelling. This chapter begins with a fast introduction to DAX, then we leap straight to digital tables and time intelligence functionalities and their purposes in real-world situations.
Chapter 3, Information Preparation in Energy Question Editor
This chapter shortly 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 situations to exhibit how highly effective they’re in constructing far more versatile and maintainable fashions.
Chapter 4, Getting Information from Varied Sources
This chapter explains getting knowledge from totally different knowledge sources which might be extra generally utilized in Energy BI. Then, the significance of information 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 Information Preparation Steps
Explains widespread knowledge preparation steps together with real-world hands-on situations. A mix of what you might have discovered thus far on this ebook with the steps to be mentioned on this chapter provides you a robust basis to go on to the following chapters and construct your knowledge fashions extra effectively. By studying these functionalities, you may cope with numerous totally different situations in implementing totally different knowledge fashions.
Chapter 6, Star Schema Preparation in Energy Question Editor
Explains the right way to put together your queries primarily based on the star schema knowledge modelling method with real-life situations. The Energy Question M language shall be closely used on this chapter, so you’ll discover ways to cope with real-world challenges alongside the way in which. As you might have already discovered widespread knowledge preparation steps within the earlier chapter, the vast majority of Energy Question situations defined on this chapter shall be simpler to implement. You’ll additionally discover ways to construct dimension tables and truth tables, and the right way to denormalize your queries when wanted.
Chapter 7, Information Preparation Widespread Greatest Practices
Explains widespread finest practices in knowledge preparation. Following these practices will assist you construct extra environment friendly knowledge fashions which might be simpler to keep up and extra versatile to make modifications to. Following these practices, it’s also possible to keep away from widespread errors, which may make your life a lot simpler.
Chapter 8, Information Modeling Elements
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 numerous 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 Information Modeling Widespread Greatest Practices
This chapter explains widespread knowledge modelling finest practices that can assist you make higher choices whereas constructing your knowledge mannequin to forestall dealing with some identified points down the highway. As an illustration, coping with knowledge sort points in key columns which might be utilized in relationships is considerably time-consuming to establish, nevertheless it’s very simple to forestall. So, figuring out knowledge modelling finest practices helps you save numerous upkeep time and consequently saves you cash.
Chapter 10, Superior Information Modeling Strategies
This chapter explains particular modelling methods that clear up particular enterprise necessities. knowledge modeller is one who’s at all times open to new challenges. Chances are you’ll face among the superior enterprise necessities mentioned on this chapter or you could face one thing totally 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-Degree Safety
Explains the right way to implement row-level safety (RLS) in a Energy BI knowledge mannequin. Coping with RLS could be complicated and figuring out the right way to cope with totally different conditions wants deep information on knowledge modelling and filter propagation ideas. Our goal on this chapter is to switch that information to you so you may design and implement high-performing and low-maintenance knowledge fashions.
Chapter 12, Additional Choices and Options Out there for Information Modeling
This chapter introduces knowledge modelling choices comparable to Slowly Altering Dimensions (SCD), Object-Degree Safety (OLS), dataflows, and composite fashions, supplying you with broad publicity to all these subjects.
I Was Not Alone Alongside the Approach
All this was not potential with out having the total help of my pretty spouse, my pals and my household. I additionally wish to present my particular gratefulness to 2 superb professionals:
I additionally thank the next Microsoft MVPs who put their useful time to evaluation my ebook after publication and supplied their suggestions:
Thanks everybody on your help.
