If you have a large reporting data and have not explored the new Columnstore Indexes. Take some time to review what you are missing. Unlike regular database indexes (rowstore format) that index tables based on the data tied to a row. Columnstore indexes compress the data within a column to quickly index common fields such … [Read more…]
What is PowerView and why is it important to IT and business users? PowerView is an Excel 2013 feature that enables users to build integrated charts and graphs within Excel. Given a completed mashup of data, a user can then create a wide selection of reports in the familiar Excel interface. Report parts can be … [Read more…]
If you are looking for a cloud based solution for data warehousing then Amazon’s Redshift may be for you. Redshift is a high performing database designed for gigabytes and petabytes of data. Since it is part of the Amazon Elastic Cloud it easily scales out for performance and offers on-demand pricing. The immediate benefit of … [Read more…]
For those looking to learn Hadoop, the easiest method I found for experimenting is the Hortonworks Sandbox. It is an all in one Virtual Machine that you can use to learn Hadoop instead of spending your time on trying to install and configure a Hadoop cluster. I installed the VM on a 64 bit laptop … [Read more…]
SQL Server Backup to URL A new feature to SQL Server 2012 (requires SP1 CU2) is the backup to URL functionality. This feature allows you the option to backup your SQL Server database directly to the Windows Azure service. This adds value to an infrastructure by decreasing on-site hosted storage, increasing your options for Disaster … [Read more…]
Not everyone has heard or read this story so I thought I would share it here. Target was able to determine that a young lady was pregnant before her family was aware. A link to the complete story is here. The interesting part from a BI perspective is how Target was able to determine that … [Read more…]
I have been involved in Business Intelligence for over 15 years. I have seen first hand the difference between just a Business Intelligence project and one that actually delivers value. The reason for a business to invest time and money into a BI project is to get better information than they have had before. Any … [Read more…]
I have been using the Azure infrastructure for a few months now. My overall experiences have been great. I can now create a virtual machine and entire network infrastructure in the cloud and access it from anywhere. No longer do I need a test server at home taking up space and filling the room with … [Read more…]
There are a variety of great learning labs available on the SQL Server site. 19 virtual labs cover the following topics: Business Intelligence Mission-Critical Operations Database Management The original link – http://www.microsoft.com/sqlserver/en/us/learning-center/virtual-labs.aspx
Enterprise Architecture (EA) is a logical organization of the business and its supporting data, applications and IT infrastructure A typical architecture consists of diagrams that show how aspects of the business relate: EA aligns the following 4 areas: Business – Processes, Strategies, Organization Charts and Functions Information – Conceptual, Logical and Physical data models to … [Read more…]