MSBI Interview Question
Frequently asked MSBI Interview Questions for Integration Services, Analysis Services and Reporting Services and MSBI.
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Criteria | Result |
Analytics | Dashboards, guided navigation and drill down |
Type of Solution | End-to-end Business solution with extended ETL |
User-friendly | Ease of installation, use, maintenance |
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Query parameters is revealed in the query of the datasources that are to be included into the SQL script’s where clause of the SQL that can accept parameters. Query parameters begin with the symbol @.
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Report Manager : A Web-based administration tool for managing the Report Server.
Report Server : Provides services for implementation and delivery of reports.
Report Designer : A place where we can create report.
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A matrix is a data region related to a report set. Matrix permits us to create crosstab reports with the report variables showing on rows and columns. It allows us to drag.
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A sub report is like any other reports which can be termed in main report and can be generate through main report. Parameters can be conceded from main report to sub report and basis of that report can be created.
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Report model project is used for creating Adhoc reporting. We can create the adhoc reports over report builder. Report model project can be created on bids or report server. This model can have simple view.
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Report Server Project comprises of RDL file and it need to be deployed on report server to view the report files to application and user. It is a solution where we can design our reports. We can add it by going into BIDS clicking on new item and then selecting reports server project. Once the solution is formed we can start forming reports.
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Report builder is used to create small reports and it is a define interface. We can’t change the report interface in report builder it pre designed. We can just drag columns in the report. It creates reports on database objects available with report model project.
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Report builder presented in SQL Server 2005. While creating or arranging report model project on report server we can get error or it might not get formed. For this we need to check whether the service pack 22 is installed or not.
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Report can be organized in three ways :
Using visual studio : In visual studio we can directly deploy the report through solution explorer by providing the report server URL in project properties at Target Server URL. This will organize entire project or single report as per our selection.
Using report server : We can directly go to the report server and deploy the report by looking the report from the disk location on server.
Creating the utility : SQL server provides the utility which can be used to create a modify utility for our report deployment in bulk.
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Rs.exe utility is used for organizing the report on report server. It comes with the report server and can be modify accordingly.
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Reporting service config file is used for report configuration details. It contains the report format and also the report import types. Report service config exist in ISS.
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In visual studio RDL files has three parts.
Data : It covers the dataset on which we write the query. Data set is associated with data source.
Design : In design we can design report. We can create tables and matrix reports. We Drag columns values from source.
Preview : It ia used to check the preview after the report run.
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RDL files are printed in XML.
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Chart reports are for graphical representation. We can get pie charts columns harts and various other options. 3d charts are also presented in reporting services.
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Data set are the set of data which we want to show in report. Data creates on data source. Data source is the source of data from where we are receiving this data i.e. database server and database name joining string.
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SSRS use different data source. Some of them are listed below.
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Reporting Service Web Service used in SSRS. By retrieving this web service we can access all report server section and also get the report organized on report server.
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To enhance the custom codes in report go to report tab on top then properties and there you will find the selections for custom code.
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Report server can lay up a copy of processed report in a memory and return the copy when a user opens the report. This server memory is called as cache and the process is known as caching.
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First we configure HTTP Connection manager which will point to WSDL of a web service.
Web service task customs this HTTP Connection manager and let us invoke methods in it.
It return values of method value we can store it in some variables and can use as input for some other tasks.
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It allows us to allocate different SQL server objects between different instances of SQL Server.Object incomes from table, stored procedures, user defined functions etc.
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Yes, it is possible for that we have Message Queue task. It contract us send messages to MSMQ and receive message from MSMQ.
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MSMQ helps in communicating two applications with each other asynchronously. Specialty is two application may be built using dissimilar technology and it works even offline messaging. Sender will stock messages inside queue and reader reads it wherever required.
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There are basically 4 Cache Modes available in SSIS Lookup Transformation
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The major differences between SSRS 2005 and SSRS 2008 are as follows:
SSRS 2005 report server requires IIS, whereas SSRS 2008 comes with a build-in web server and hence does not require IIS.
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SSIS architecture involves four key parts :
Integration Services service :
It monitors running Integration Services packages and accomplishes the storage of packages.
Integration Services object model :
It contains managed API for reading Integration Services tools, command-line utilities, and custom applications.
Integration Services runtime and run-time executables :
It keeps the layout of packages, runs packages, and provides support for logging, breakpoints, configuration, connections, and transactions.
Data flow engine :
It provides the in-memory buffers that move data from source to destination.
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Logging Configuration provides an inbuilt feature which can log the detail of various events like onError, onWarning etc .
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SSIS package contain mainly have two types of errors :
Procedure Error : It can be handled in Control flow bythe precedence control and redirecting the execution flow.
Data Error : it is handled in DATA FLOW TASK by redirecting the data flow using Error Output of a component.
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A property value like connection string for a Connection Manager can be passed to the pkg using package configurations.
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Through Manifest we can organize it :
It will be formed in the bin folder of the solution once package is build.
Copy all the files in the utility and use manifest file to display it on the Prod.
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Execution trees demonstrate how package uses buffers and threads. At run time, the data flow engine breaks down Data Flow task operations into execution trees.
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When a package is arranged to use checkpoints, material about package execution is written to a checkpoint file. When the failed package is rerun, the checkpoint file is used to restart the package from the point of failure. If the package runs effectively, the checkpoint file is deleted, and then re-created the next time that the package is run.
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MSDB.sysdtspackages90 stores the original content.
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A Complete set of Tools that can be used to generate, succeed and view reports.
A Report Server component that hosts and processes reports in many formats. Output formats include HTML, PDF and more.
An API that allows developers to mix or spread data and report processing in custom applications, or create custom tools to build and manage reports.
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The benefits are:
Reuseability of Code: function created in embedded code to achieve a logic can be then used in manifold expressions
Centralized code: it helps in better manageability of code.
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Visual Basic .NET Code is used to code embedded fuctions in SSRS.
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We can know Report Execution History as the execution log table in report server database contains all the logs from the last two months so we can see it from there.
Select-from reportserver.dbo.ExecutionLog
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Tablular report: It is the most basic type of report. Each column corresponds to a column selected from the database.
Matrix report: A matrix report is a cross-tabulation of four groups of data:
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By Using Navigation property of a cell and scenery child report and its parameters in it we can create Drill-through reports.
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By grouping data on essential fields
Then toggle reflectivity based on the grouped filed
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Using SQL Server Agent we can schedule a SSIS packages.
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Asynchronous transformation have various Input and Output buffers and it is up to the component designer. It provide a column structure to the output buffer and hook up the data from the input.
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Parallelism is achieved using MaxConcurrentExecutable stuff of the package. Its default is -1 and is calculated as number of computers + 2.
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Accurate and fastest way to do incremental load is by using Timestamp column in source table and then storing last ETL timestamp.
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Early Arriving Facts sometime get unavoidable because delay or error in Dimension ETL or may be due to logic of ETL. To handle Early arriving Facts, we can create dummy Dimension with natural/business key and keep rest of the attributes as null or default.
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SQL Server Reporting Services is a server-based reporting platform that we can use to create and manage tabular, matrix, graphical, and free-form reports that contain data from relational and multidimensional data sources.
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Microsoft Business Intelligence (BI) is a suite of products and tools that you can use to monitor, analyze and plan your business by using scorecards, dashboards, management reporting and analytics.
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It contains the following tools:
1. SQL Server Analysis Services (SSAS)
2. SQL Server Integration Services (SSIS)
3. SQL Server Reporting Services (SSRS)
4. Performance Point Services (PPS) which was added as a free service in Microsoft Office SharePoint 2010
SSIS – SQL Server Integration Services
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SQL Server Integration Services (SSIS) is a component of SQL Server which can be used to perform a wide range of Data Migration and ETL operations. SSIS is a component in MSBI process of SQL Server.
This is a platform for Integration and Workflow applications. It is known for a fast and flexible OLTP and OLAP extensions used for data extraction, transformation, and loading (ETL). The tool may also be used to automate maintenance of SQL Server databases and multidimensional data sets.
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We use Business Intelligence Development Studio (BIDS) and SQL Server Management Studio (SSMS) to work with Development of SSIS Projects.
We use SSMS to manage the SSIS Packages and Projects.
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Data Transformation Services | SQL Server Integration Services |
Limited Error Handling | Complex and powerful Error Handling |
Message Boxes in ActiveX | Scripts Message Boxes in .NET Scripting |
No Deployment Wizard | Interactive Deployment Wizard |
Limited Set of Transformation | Good number of Transformations |
NO BI functionality | Complete BI Integration |
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Workflow is a set of instructions on to specify the Program Executor on how to execute tasks and containers within SSIS Packages.
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A control flow consists of one or more tasks and containers that execute when the package runs. To control order or define the conditions for running the next task or container in the package control flow, we use precedence constraints to connect the tasks and containers in a package. A subset of tasks and containers can also be grouped and run repeatedly as a unit within the package control flow. SQL Server Integration Services (SSIS) provides three different types of control flow elements: Containers that provide structures in packages, Tasks that provide functionality, and Precedence Constraints that connect the executables, containers, and tasks into an ordered control flow.
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Data flow consists of the sources and destinations that extract and load data, the transformations that modify and extend data, and the paths that link sources, transformations, and destinations The Data Flow task is the executable within the SSIS package that creates, orders, and runs the data flow. A separate instance of the data flow engine is opened for each Data Flow task in a package. Data Sources, Transformations, and Data Destinations are the three important categories in the Data Flow.
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When a data flow component applies a transformation to column data, extracts data from sources, or loads data into destinations, errors can occur. Errors frequently occur because of unexpected data values.
Type of typical Errors in SSIS:
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An environment variable configuration sets a package property equal to the value in an environment variable.
Environmental configurations are useful for configuring properties that are dependent on the computer that is executing the package.
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SSIS includes logging features that write log entries when run-time events occur and can also write custom messages. This is not enabled by default. Integration Services supports a diverse set of log providers, and gives you the ability to create custom log providers. The Integration Services log providers can write log entries to text files, SQL Server Profiler, SQL Server, Windows Event Log, or XML files. Logs are associated with packages and are configured at the package level. Each task or container in a package can log information to any package log. The tasks and containers in a package can be enabled for logging even if the package itself is not.
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SSIS Project BUILD provides a Deployment Manifest File. We need to run the manifest file and decide whether to deploy this onto File System or onto SQL Server [ msdb]. SQL Server Deployment is very faster and more secure then File System Deployment. Alternatively, we can also import the package from SSMS from File System or SQL Server.
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Variables store values that a SSIS package and its containers, tasks, and event handlers can use at run time. The scripts in the Script task and the Script component can also use variables. The precedence constraints that sequence tasks and containers into a workflow can use variables when their constraint definitions include expressions. Integration Services supports two types of variables: user-defined variables and system variables. User-defined variables are defined by package developers, and system variables are defined by Integration Services. You can create as many user-defined variables as a package requires, but you cannot create additional system variables.
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1. SQLServer:SSIS Service
2. SSIS Package Instances
3. SQLServer:SSIS Pipeline
4. BLOB bytes read
5. BLOB bytes written
6. BLOB files in use
7. Buffer memory
8. Buffers in use
9. Buffers spooled
10. Flat buffer memory
11. Flat buffers in use
12. Private buffer memory
13. Private buffers in use
14. Rows read
15. Rows written
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Microsoft SQL Server 2014 Analysis Services (SSAS) delivers online analytical processing (OLAP) and data mining functionality for business intelligence applications. Analysis Services supports OLAP by letting us design, create, and manage multidimensional structures that contain data aggregated from other data sources, such as relational databases. For data mining applications, Analysis Services lets we design, create, and visualize data mining models that are constructed from other data sources by using a wide variety of industry-standard data mining algorithms.
Analysis Services is a middle tier server for analytical processing, OLAP, and Data mining. It manages multidimensional cubes of data and provides access to heaps of information including aggregation of data. One can create data mining models from data sources and use it for Business Intelligence also including reporting features.
Analysis service provides a combined view of the data used in OLAP or Data mining. Services here refer to OLAP, Data mining. Analysis services assists in creating, designing and managing multidimensional structures containing data from varied sources. It provides a wide array of data mining algorithms for specific trends and needs.
Some of the key features are:
1. Ease of use with a lot of wizards and designers.
2. Flexible data model creation and management
3. Scalable architecture to handle OLAP
4. Provides integration of administration tools, data sources, security, caching, and reporting etc.
5. Provides extensive support for custom applications
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The role of a Unified Dimensional Model (UDM) is to provide a bridge between the user and the data sources. A UDM is constructed over one or more physical data sources, and then the end user issues queries against the UDM using one of a variety of client tools, such as Microsoft Excel. At a minimum, when the UDM is constructed merely as a thin layer over the data source, the advantages to the end user are a simpler, more readily understood model of the data, isolation from heterogeneous backend data sources, and improved performance for summary type queries. In some scenarios a simple UDM like this is constructed totally automatically. With greater investment in the construction of the UDM, additional benefits accrue from the richness of metadata that the model can provide.
The UDM provides the following benefits:
1. Allows the user model to be greatly enriched.
2. Provides high performance queries supporting interactive analysis, even over huge data volumes.
3. Allows business rules to be captured in the model to support richer analysis.
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1. Analysis Services is the only component in SQL Server using which we can perform Analysis and Forecast operations.
2. SSAS is very easy to use and interactive.
3. Faster Analysis and Troubleshooting.
4. Ability to create and manage Data warehouses.
5. Apply efficient Security Principles.
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1. SSAS uses both server and client components to supply OLAP and data mining functionality BI Applications.
2. The server component is implemented as a Microsoft Windows service. Each instance of Analysis Services implemented as a separate instance of the Windows service.
3. Clients communicate with Analysis Services using the standard XMLA (XML For Analysis) , protocol for issuing commands and receiving responses, exposed as a web service.
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1. An OLAP Engine is used for enabling fast adhoc queries by end users. A user can interactively explore data by drilling, slicing or pivoting.
2. Drilling refers to the process of exploring details of the data.
3. Slicing refers to the process of placing data in rows and columns.
4. Pivoting refers to switching categories of data between rows and columns.
5. In OLAP, we will be using what are called as Dimensional Databases.
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A database is called an OLAP Database if the database satisfies the FASMI rules :
1. Fast Analysis–is defined in the OLAP scenario in five seconds or less.
2. Shared –Must support access to data by many users in the factors of Sensitivity and Write Backs.
3. Multidimensional –The data inside the OLAP Database must be multidimensional in structure.
4. Information –The OLAP database Must support large volumes of data..
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1. Structured Query Language (SQL)
2. Multidimensional Expressions (MDX) – an industry standard query language orientated towards analysis
3. Data Mining Extensions (DMX) – an industry standard query language oriented toward data mining.
4. Analysis Services Scripting Language (ASSL) – used to manage Analysis Services database objects.
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The difference between a derived measure and a calculated measure is when the calculation is performed. A derived measure is calculated before aggregations are created, and the values of the derived measure are stored in the cube. A calculated measure is calculated after aggregations are created, and the values of a calculated measure aren’t stored in the cube. The primary criterion for choosing between a derived measure and a calculated measure is not efficiency, but accuracy.
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A partition in Analysis Services is the physical location of stored cube data. Every cube has at least one partition by default. Each time we create a measure group, another partition is created. Queries run faster against a partitioned cube because Analysis Services only needs to read data from the partitions that contain the answers to the queries. Queries run even faster when partition also stores aggregations, the pre calculated totals for additive measures. Partitions are a powerful and flexible means of managing cubes, especially large cubes.
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Nonempty behavior is important property for ratio calculations. If the denominator Is empty, an MDX expression will return an error just as it would if the denominator Were equal to zero. By selecting one or more measures for the Non-Empty Behavior property, we are establishing a requirement that each selected measure first be evaluated before the calculation expression is evaluated. If each selected measure is empty, then The expression is also treated as empty and no error is returned.
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Under normal circumstances, each level in a hierarchy in Microsoft SQL Server Analysis Services (SSAS) has the same number of members above it as any other member at the same level. In a ragged hierarchy, the logical parent member of at least one member is not in the level immediately above the member. When this occurs, the hierarchy descends to different levels for different drilldown paths. Expanding through every level for every drilldown path is then unnecessarily complicated.
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The role of an Analysis Services information worker is the traditional “domain expert” role in business intelligence (BI) someone who understands the data employed by a solution and is able to translate the data into business information. The role of an Analysis Services information worker often has one of the following job titles: Business Analyst (Report Consumer), Manager (Report Consumer), Technical Trainer, Help Desk/Operation, or Network Administrator.
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We can create aggregations for faster MDX statements using Aggregation Wizard or thru UBO – Usage Based Optimizations. Always, prefer UBO method in realtime performance troubleshooting.
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The Enable/Disable Writeback dialog box enables or disables writeback for a measure group in a cube. Enabling writeback on a measure group defines a writeback partition and creates a writeback table for that measure group. Disabling writeback on a measure group removes the writeback partition but does not delete the writeback table, to avoid unanticipated data loss.
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Processing is a critical and resource intensive operation in the data warehouse lifecycle and needs to be carefully optimized and executed. Analysis Services offers a high performance and scalable processing architecture with a comprehensive set of controls for database administrators.
We can process an OLAP database, individual cube, Dimension or a specific Partition in a cube.
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The following table lists the business intelligence enhancements that are available in Microsoft SQL Server Analysis Services (SSAS). The table also shows the cube or dimension to which each business intelligence enhancement applies, and indicates whether an enhancement can be applied to an object that was created without using a data source and for which no schema has been generated.
Enhancement | Type | Applied to | No data source |
Time Intelligence | Cube | Cube | No |
Account Intelligence | Dimension | Dimension or cube | No |
Dimension Intelligence | Dimension | Dimension or cube | Yes |
Custom Aggregation | Dimension | Dimension (unary operator) or cube | No |
Semiadditive Behavior | Cube | Cube | Yes |
Custom Member Formula | Dimension | Dimension or cube | No |
Custom Sorting and Uniqueness Settings | Dimension | Dimension or cube | Yes |
Dimension Writeback | Dimension | Dimension or cube | Yes |
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This is a great question because you only know this answer by experience. If you ask me this question, the answer practically rushes out of me. “CrossJoin, Descendants, and NonEmpty, in addition to Sum, Count, and Aggregate. My personal favorite is CrossJoin because it allows me identify non-contiguous slices of the cube and aggregate even though those cube cells don’t roll up to a natural ancestor.” Indeed, CrossJoin has easily been my bread and butter.
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The reflexive answer is “in the Measures dimension” but this is the obvious answer. So I always follow up with another question. “If you want to create a calculated member that intersects all measures, where do you put it?” A high percentage of candidates can’t answer this question, and the answer is “In a dimension other than Measures.” If they can answer it, I immediately ask them why. The answer is “Because a member in a dimension cannot intersect its own relatives in that dimension.”
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Simply using bottomcount will return customers with null sales. You will have to combine it with NONEMPTY or FILTER.
SELECT { [Measures].[Internet Sales Amount] } ON COLUMNS ,
BOTTOMCOUNT(
NONEMPTY(DESCENDANTS( [Customer].[Customer Geography].[All Customers]
, [Customer].[Customer Geography].[Customer] )
, ( [Measures].[Internet Sales Amount] ) )
, 10
, ( [Measures].[Internet Sales Amount] )
) ON ROWS
FROM [Adventure Works]
WHERE ( [Date].[Calendar].[Calendar Year].&[2003] ) ;Ans:
By default Analysis Services returns members in an order specified during attribute design. Attribute properties that define ordering are “OrderBy” and “OrderByAttribute”. Lets say we want to see order counts for each year. In Adventure Works MDX query would be:
SELECT {[Measures].[Reseller Order Quantity]} ON 0
, [Date].[Calendar].[Calendar Year].Members ON 1
FROM [Adventure Works];
Same query using TopCount:
SELECT
{[Measures].[Reseller Order Quantity]} ON 0,
TopCount([Date].[Calendar].[Calendar Year].Members,3, [Measures].[Reseller Order Quantity]) ON 1
FROM [Adventure Works];Ans:
Use could usefunctionSet.Item(0)
Example:
SELECT {{[Date].[Calendar].[Calendar Year].Members
}.Item(0)}
ON 0
FROM [Adventure Works]
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You can use ALTER CUBE statement. Syntax:
ALTER CUBE CurrentCube | YourCubeName UPDATE DIMENSION , DEFAULT_MEMBER=”;
SSRS – SQL Server Reporting Services
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SQL Server Reporting Service is one of the server-based software systems that generate reports developed by Microsoft. It is used for preparing and delivering interactive and variety of printed reports. It is administered through an interface that is web based. Reporting services utilizes a web service interface for supporting and developing of customized reporting applicatons. It can be competed with Crystal Reports and other business intelligence tools.
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Reporting services architecture comprises of integrated components. It is a multi-tiered, included with application, server and data layers. This architecture is scalable and modular. A single installation can be used across multiple computers.
It includes the following components: – Report Manager, Reporting Designer, Browser Types Supported by Reporting services, Report server, Report server command line utilities, Report Server Database, Reporting Services Extensibility, Data sources that is supported by Reporting Services.
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The Reporting Lifecycle includes – Report designing – The designing is done in Visual Studio Report Designer. It generates a class which embodies the Report Definition. – Report processing – The processing includes binging the report definition with data from the report data source. It performs on all grouping, sorting and filtering calculations. The expressions are evaluated except the page header, footer and section items. Later it fires the Binding event and Bound event. As a result of the processing, it produces Report Instance. Report instance may be persisted and stored which can be rendered at a later point of time. – Report Rendering: Report rendering starts by passing the Report Instance to a specific rendering extension (HTML or PDF formats). The instance of reports is paged if paging supported by output format. The expressions of items are evaluated in the page header and footer sections for every page. As a final step, the report is rendered to the specific output document.
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To tune-up the Reporting Services, follow the below mentioned ways: – Expand the Server or utilizing the reporting services of another database server. For better embedding of report contents, report application’s logic and characteristics can have a duplicate copy of data. – Replication of data continuously. Using nolock, the issues of locking can well be resolved and the performance of the query can be improved. This can be done by using dirty read at the time of duplicating the data is unavailable.
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Reporting Services provides data-driven subscriptions so that you can customize the distribution of a report based on dynamic subscriber data. Data-driven subscriptions are intended for the following kinds of scenarios: Distributing reports to a large recipient pool whose membership may change from one distribution to the next. For example distribute a monthly report to all current customers. Distributing reports to a specific group of recipients based on predefined criteria. For example send a sales performance report to the top ten sales managers in an organization.
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Logical page breaks are page breaks that you insert before or after report items or groups. Page breaks help to determine how the content is fitted to a report page for optimal viewing when rendering or exporting the report. The following rules apply when rendering logical page breaks: Logical page breaks are ignored for report items that are constantly hidden and for report items where the visibility is controlled by clicking another report item. Logical page breaks are applied on conditionally visible items if they are currently visible at the time the report is rendered. Space is preserved between the report item with the logical page break and its peer report items. Logical page breaks that are inserted before a report item push the report item down to the next page. The report item is rendered at the top of the next page. Logical page breaks defined on items in table or matrix cells are not kept. This does not apply to items in lists.
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Create a data-driven subscription that uses the Null Delivery Provider. When you specify the Null Delivery Provider as the method of delivery in the subscription, the report server targets the report server database as the delivery destination and uses a specialized rendering extension called the null rendering extension. In contrast with other delivery extensions, the Null Delivery Provider does not have delivery settings that you can configure through a subscription definition.
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Report manager is a web application. In SSRS it is accessed by a URL. The interface of this Report manager depends on the permissions of the user. This means to access any functionality or perform any task, the user must be assigned a role. A user with a role of full permissions can entire all the features and menus of the report. To configure the report manager, a URL needs to be defined.
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Reporting services components assist in development. These processing components include some tools that are used to create, manage and view reports. A report designer is used to create the reports. a report sever is used to execute and distribute reports. a report manager is used to manage the report server.
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Crystal reports are processed by IIS while SSRS have a report server. Caching in Crystal reports is available through cache server. On the other hand, caching in SSRS is available for Report history snapshots. Crystal reports have standards and user defined field labels. SSRS allows only user defined field labels.
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Report Builder is a business-user, ad-hoc report design client that allows users to design reports based on the business terms (Report Builder model) they are familiar with, but without needing to understand database schemas or how to write SQL or MDX queries. Report Builder works with both SQL Server and Analysis Services data sources.
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Report Builder supports relational SQL and Analysis Services data sources in SQL Server. To create a model for Analysis Services cube, go to Report Manager or Management Studio, create a data source for your Analysis Services database, and then select the Generate Model option to create the model.
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While models that provide access to SQL Server Analysis Services are automatically generated on the report server, the Report Builder Model Designer can be used to generate or modify the models that are built on top of SQL Server relational databases. These model-building projects are a new type of project within a Visual Studio–based development shell.
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In the filter dialog box, click the name of the criteria that you would like to prompt the user for when viewing the report. For example, for the criteria Order Year=2000, click Order Year. Select the Prompt option in the drop-down list.
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In addition to the data source types available in SSRS (SQL Server, Oracle, ODBC, OLE DB), the following have been added in SSRS 2012: SQL Server Analysis Services SQL Server Integration Services SQL Server Report Builder Models XML (through URL and Web services)
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Visual Studio / SSDT / BI Data Tools (Standard and Enterprise editions) contains a set of freely redistributable Report Viewer controls that make it easy to embed Reporting Services functionality into custom applications. Two versions of the Report Viewer exist, one for rich Windows client applications and one for ASP.NET applications.
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In addition to publishing reports to a report server, you can build reports using the Report Designer that is directly integrated with Visual Studio language projects. You can embed reports directly in any Windows Forms or ASP.NET Web application without access to a report server. The data access in embedded reports is a natural extension of the Visual Studio data facilities. Not only can you use traditional databases as a source of data for your reports, you can use object collections as well.
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Reporting Services does not import data. It only queries data in whatever format it is stored in their native storage system. I will assume that you’re asking whether you can create reports and use Excel spreadsheets as data sources. The answer is Yes, Reporting Services supports a wide variety of data sources, including Excel files. You’ll get the best performance with the built-in native .NET providers but you should be able to connect to any ODBC or OLE-DB data source, whether it comes from Microsoft or a third-party company.
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Your reports can only be deployed on a reporting services site. Your only option for viewing them from other sites is an HTTP link. Some tools, like SharePoint offer controls allowing you to view reports in the context of the other websites, but the report is still deployed to and hosted from reporting services.
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We have an ASP.NET project that populates a datagrid. Using datagrid as my datasource for my report using SQL Server Reporting Services. Is this possible? The simple answer is no. However, nothing’s ever simple. A set of reporting controls was added in Visual Studio 2010 allowing you to report in a dataset, on data that was supplied by you. So, if you retrieved your data into a dataset, bound the datagrid to the dataset so it had data to display, you could then use that dataset as the datasource for the reporting controls. These are then client-side reports, not server reports though.
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For many years, Microsoft had no direct solution for reporting with the SQL Server besides Crystal Reports. Now, they have SQL Server Reporting Services, but it does have several drawbacks. It is still complex to understand the complete functionality and structure of this new component, and many users are still relying on the reporting application they are more familiar with, which is Crystal Reports. Also, components in SSRS like Report Builder and Report Designer are meant for different users for different aspects of the report process, yet complete understanding and exposure to both is important to utilize both functions fully and extensively. There are also issues when exporting very large reports to Microsoft Excel, as it can lead to a loss of data.
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Yes, but not because of SSRS. The Internet Information Services (IIS) component of Windows XP only allows a small number of users to connect to the website at once. As SSRS runs via IIS, this would prevent more than a few people from using SSRS at once. Also, the only edition of SSRS that will install on Windows XP is the Developer Edition. This edition can not be used for production use. You need Standard or Enterprise Edition for production use, which requires a Server OS to install on (Windows 2003 Standard, Windows 2008 Standard, etc).
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When my users are trying to export a SSRS report into Microsoft Excel, one or two columns in the report appear to merge together. Why might this be? Exporting from SSRS is not always perfect, even if you stay within the Microsoft range of products. If you have extra resources, you could splurge for an add-on that offers much better control over exporting to Excel, such as OfficeWriter. From my experience, though, it is usually headers or footers that cause exporting issues. If any of these headers or footers overlap with data columns in your report, you will find that the exported version of the report has merged cells. Also, check columns next to each other to make sure that there is no overlap, as well.
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Often there is a requirement to be able to send a SSRS report in Excel, PDF or another format to different users from a SSIS package one it has finished performing a data load. In order to do this, first you need to create a subscription to the report. You can create a SSRS report subscription from Report Manager. At the report subscription you can mention the report format and the email address of the recipient. When you create a schedule for the SSRS report, a SQL Server Agent Job will be created. From the SSIS, by using sp_start_job and passing the relevant job name you can execute the SSRS report subscription.
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Criteria | Result |
Analytics | Dashboards, guided navigation and drill down |
Type of Solution | End-to-end Business solution with extended ETL |
User-friendly | Ease of installation, use, maintenance |
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Query parameters is revealed in the query of the datasources that are to be included into the SQL script’s where clause of the SQL that can accept parameters. Query parameters begin with the symbol @.
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A matrix is a data region related to a report set. Matrix permits us to create crosstab reports with the report variables showing on rows and columns. It allows us to drag.
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A sub report is like any other reports which can be termed in main report and can be generate through main report. Parameters can be conceded from main report to sub report and basis of that report can be created.
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Report model project is used for creating Adhoc reporting. We can create the adhoc reports over report builder. Report model project can be created on bids or report server. This model can have simple view.
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Report Server Project comprises of RDL file and it need to be deployed on report server to view the report files to application and user. It is a solution where we can design our reports. We can add it by going into BIDS clicking on new item and then selecting reports server project. Once the solution is formed we can start forming reports.
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Report builder is used to create small reports and it is a define interface. We can’t change the report interface in report builder it pre designed. We can just drag columns in the report. It creates reports on database objects available with report model project.
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Report builder presented in SQL Server 2005. While creating or arranging report model project on report server we can get error or it might not get formed. For this we need to check whether the service pack 22 is installed or not.
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Report can be organized in three ways :
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Rs.exe utility is used for organizing the report on report server. It comes with the report server and can be modify accordingly.
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Reporting service config file is used for report configuration details. It contains the report format and also the report import types. Report service config exist in ISS.
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In visual studio RDL files has three parts.
Data :It covers the dataset on which we write the query. Data set is associated with data source.
Design :In design we can design report. We can create tables and matrix reports. We Drag columns values from source.
Preview :It ia used to check the preview after the report run.
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RDL files are printed in XML.
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Chart reports are for graphical representation. We can get pie charts columns harts and various other options. 3d charts are also presented in reporting services.
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Data set are the set of data which we want to show in report. Data creates on data source. Data source is the source of data from where we are receiving this data i.e. database server and database name joining string.
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SSRS use different data source. Some of them are listed below.
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Reporting Service Web Service used in SSRS. By retrieving this web service we can access all report server section and also get the report organized on report server.
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To enhance the custom codes in report go to report tab on top then properties and there you will find the selections for custom code.
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Report server can lay up a copy of processed report in a memory and return the copy when a user opens the report. This server memory is called as cache and the process is known as caching.
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It allows us to allocate different SQL server objects between different instances of SQL Server.Object incomes from table, stored procedures, user defined functions etc.
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Yes, it is possible for that we have Message Queue task. It contract us send messages to MSMQ and receive message from MSMQ.
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MSMQ helps in communicating two applications with each other asynchronously. Specialty is two application may be built using dissimilar technology and it works even offline messaging. Sender will stock messages inside queue and reader reads it wherever required.
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There are basically 4 Cache Modes available in SSIS Lookup Transformation
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The major differences between SSRS 2005 and SSRS 2008 are as follows:
SSRS 2005 report server requires IIS, whereas SSRS 2008 comes with a build-in web server and hence does not require IIS.
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SSIS architecture involves four key parts :
a) Integration Services service :
It monitors running Integration Services packages and accomplishes the storage of packages.
b) Integration Services object model :
It contains managed API for reading Integration Services tools, command-line utilities, and custom applications.
c) Integration Services runtime and run-time executables :
It keeps the layout of packages, runs packages, and provides support for logging, breakpoints, configuration, connections, and transactions.
d) Data flow engine :
It provides the in-memory buffers that move data from source to destination.
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Logging Configuration provides an inbuilt feature which can log the detail of various events like onError, onWarning etc.
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SSIS package contain mainly have two types of errors :
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A property value like connection string for a Connection Manager can be passed to the pkg using package configurations.
iteanz
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A)Through Manifest we can organize it :
Create deployment utility by setting its properties as true .
It will be formed in the bin folder of the solution once package is build.
Copy all the files in the utility and use manifest file to display it on the Prod.
B) Using DtsExec.exe utility.
C)Import Package directly in MSDB from SSMS by logging in Integration Services.
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Execution trees demonstrate how package uses buffers and threads. At run time, the data flow engine breaks down Data Flow task operations into execution trees.
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When a package is arranged to use checkpoints, material about package execution is written to a checkpoint file. When the failed package is rerun, the checkpoint file is used to restart the package from the point of failure. If the package runs effectively, the checkpoint file is deleted, and then re-created the next time that the package is run.
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MSDB.sysdtspackages90 stores the original content.
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A Complete set of Tools that can be used to generate, succeed and view reports.
A Report Server component that hosts and processes reports in many formats. Output formats include HTML, PDF and more.
An API that allows developers to mix or spread data and report processing in custom applications, or create custom tools to build and manage reports.
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The benefits are:
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Visual Basic .NET Code is used to code embedded fuctions in SSRS.
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We can know Report Execution History as the execution log table in report server database contains all the logs from the last two months so we can see it from there.
Select-from reportserver.dbo.ExecutionLog
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Tablular report: It is the most basic type of report. Each column corresponds to a column selected from the database.
Matrix report: A matrix report is a cross-tabulation of four groups of data:
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By Using Navigation property of a cell and scenery child report and its parameters in it we can create Drill-through reports.
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By grouping data on essential fields
Then toggle reflectivity based on the grouped filed
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Using SQL Server Agent we can schedule a SSIS packages.
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Asynchronous transformation have various Input and Output buffers and it is up to the component designer. It provide a column structure to the output buffer and hook up the data from the input.
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Parallelism is achieved using MaxConcurrentExecutable stuff of the package. Its default is -1 and is calculated as number of computers + 2.
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Accurate and fastest way to do incremental load is by using Timestamp column in source table and then storing last ETL timestamp.
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Early Arriving Facts sometime get unavoidable because delay or error in Dimension ETL or may be due to logic of ETL. To handle Early arriving Facts, we can create dummy Dimension with natural/business key and keep rest of the attributes as null or default.
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SQL Server Reporting Services is a server-based reporting platform that we can use to create and manage tabular, matrix, graphical, and free-form reports that contain data from relational and multidimensional data sources.
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Data Transformation Services | SQL Server Integration Services |
Limited Error Handling | Complex and powerful Error Handling |
Message Boxes in ActiveX Scripts | Message Boxes in .NET Scripting |
No Deployment Wizard | Interactive Deployment Wizard |
Limited Set of Transformation | Good number of Transformations |
NO BI functionality | Complete BI Integration |
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Workflow is a set of instructions on to specify the Program Executor on how to execute tasks and containers within SSIS Packages.
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A control flow consists of one or more tasks and containers that execute when the package runs. To control order or define the conditions for running the next task or container in the package control flow, we use precedence constraints to connect the tasks and containers in a package. A subset of tasks and containers can also be grouped and run repeatedly as a unit within the package control flow. SQL Server Integration Services (SSIS) provides three different types of control flow elements: Containers that provide structures in packages, Tasks that provide functionality, and Precedence Constraints that connect the executables, containers, and tasks into an ordered control flow.
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Data flow consists of the sources and destinations that extract and load data, the transformations that modify and extend data, and the paths that link sources, transformations, and destinations The Data Flow task is the executable within the SSIS package that creates, orders, and runs the data flow. A separate instance of the data flow engine is opened for each Data Flow task in a package. Data Sources, Transformations, and Data Destinations are the three important categories in the Data Flow.
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When a data flow component applies a transformation to column data, extracts data from sources, or loads data into destinations, errors can occur. Errors frequently occur because of unexpected data values.
Type of typical Errors in SSIS:
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An environment variable configuration sets a package property equal to the value in an environment variable.
Environmental configurations are useful for configuring properties that are dependent on the computer that is executing the package.
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SSIS includes logging features that write log entries when run-time events occur and can also write custom messages. This is not enabled by default. Integration Services supports a diverse set of log providers, and gives you the ability to create custom log providers. The Integration Services log providers can write log entries to text files, SQL Server Profiler, SQL Server, Windows Event Log, or XML files. Logs are associated with packages and are configured at the package level. Each task or container in a package can log information to any package log. The tasks and containers in a package can be enabled for logging even if the package itself is not.
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SSIS Project BUILD provides a Deployment Manifest File. We need to run the manifest file and decide whether to deploy this onto File System or onto SQL Server [ msdb]. SQL Server Deployment is very faster and more secure then File System Deployment. Alternatively, we can also import the package from SSMS from File System or SQL Server.
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Variables store values that a SSIS package and its containers, tasks, and event handlers can use at run time. The scripts in the Script task and the Script component can also use variables. The precedence constraints that sequence tasks and containers into a workflow can use variables when their constraint definitions include expressions. Integration Services supports two types of variables: user-defined variables and system variables. User-defined variables are defined by package developers, and system variables are defined by Integration Services. You can create as many user-defined variables as a package requires, but you cannot create additional system variables.
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Microsoft SQL Server 2014 Analysis Services (SSAS) delivers online analytical processing (OLAP) and data mining functionality for business intelligence applications. Analysis Services supports OLAP by letting us design, create, and manage multidimensional structures that contain data aggregated from other data sources, such as relational databases. For data mining applications, Analysis Services lets we design, create, and visualize data mining models that are constructed from other data sources by using a wide variety of industry-standard data mining algorithms.
Analysis Services is a middle tier server for analytical processing, OLAP, and Data mining. It manages multidimensional cubes of data and provides access to heaps of information including aggregation of data. One can create data mining models from data sources and use it for Business Intelligence also including reporting features.
Analysis service provides a combined view of the data used in OLAP or Data mining. Services here refer to OLAP, Data mining. Analysis services assists in creating, designing and managing multidimensional structures containing data from varied sources. It provides a wide array of data mining algorithms for specific trends and needs.
Some of the key features are:
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The role of a Unified Dimensional Model (UDM) is to provide a bridge between the user and the data sources. A UDM is constructed over one or more physical data sources, and then the end user issues queries against the UDM using one of a variety of client tools, such as Microsoft Excel. At a minimum, when the UDM is constructed merely as a thin layer over the data source, the advantages to the end user are a simpler, more readily understood model of the data, isolation from heterogeneous backend data sources, and improved performance for summary type queries. In some scenarios a simple UDM like this is constructed totally automatically. With greater investment in the construction of the UDM, additional benefits accrue from the richness of metadata that the model can provide.
The UDM provides the following benefits:
• Allows the user model to be greatly enriched.
• Provides high performance queries supporting interactive analysis, even over huge data volumes.
• Allows business rules to be captured in the model to support richer analysis.
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Analysis Services is the only component in SQL Server using which we can perform Analysis and Forecast operations.
SSAS is very easy to use and interactive.
Faster Analysis and Troubleshooting.
Ability to create and manage Data warehouses.
Apply efficient Security Principles.
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SSAS uses both server and client components to supply OLAP and data mining functionality BI Applications.
The server component is implemented as a Microsoft Windows service. Each instance of Analysis Services implemented as a separate instance of the Windows service.
Clients communicate with Analysis Services using the standard XMLA (XML For Analysis) , protocol for issuing commands and receiving responses, exposed as a web service.
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An OLAP Engine is used for enabling fast adhoc queries by end users. A user can interactively explore data by drilling, slicing or pivoting.
Drilling refers to the process of exploring details of the data.
Slicing refers to the process of placing data in rows and columns.
Pivoting refers to switching categories of data between rows and columns.
In OLAP, we will be using what are called as Dimensional Databases.
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A database is called an OLAP Database if the database satisfies the FASMI rules :
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Structured Query Language (SQL)
Multidimensional Expressions (MDX) – an industry standard query language orientated towards analysis
Data Mining Extensions (DMX) – an industry standard query language oriented toward data mining.
Analysis Services Scripting Language (ASSL) – used to manage Analysis Services database objects.
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Cubes are multidimensional models that store data from one or more sources.
Cubes can also store aggregations
SSAS Cubes are created using the Cube Wizard.
We also build Dimensions when creating Cubes.
Cubes can see only the DSV( logical View).
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The difference between a derived measure and a calculated measure is when the calculation is performed. A derived measure is calculated before aggregations are created, and the values of the derived measure are stored in the cube. A calculated measure is calculated after aggregations are created, and the values of a calculated measure aren’t stored in the cube. The primary criterion for choosing between a derived measure and a calculated measure is not efficiency, but accuracy.
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A partition in Analysis Services is the physical location of stored cube data. Every cube has at least one partition by default. Each time we create a measure group, another partition is created. Queries run faster against a partitioned cube because Analysis Services only needs to read data from the partitions that contain the answers to the queries. Queries run even faster when partition also stores aggregations, the pre calculated totals for additive measures. Partitions are a powerful and flexible means of managing cubes, especially large cubes.
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Nonempty behavior is important property for ratio calculations. If the denominator Is empty, an MDX expression will return an error just as it would if the denominator Were equal to zero. By selecting one or more measures for the Non-Empty Behavior property, we are establishing a requirement that each selected measure first be evaluated before the calculation expression is evaluated. If each selected measure is empty, then The expression is also treated as empty and no error is returned.
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Under normal circumstances, each level in a hierarchy in Microsoft SQL Server Analysis Services (SSAS) has the same number of members above it as any other member at the same level. In a ragged hierarchy, the logical parent member of at least one member is not in the level immediately above the member. When this occurs, the hierarchy descends to different levels for different drilldown paths. Expanding through every level for every drilldown path is then unnecessarily complicated.
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The role of an Analysis Services information worker is the traditional “domain expert” role in business intelligence (BI) someone who understands the data employed by a solution and is able to translate the data into business information. The role of an Analysis Services information worker often has one of the following job titles: Business Analyst (Report Consumer), Manager (Report Consumer), Technical Trainer, Help Desk/Operation, or Network Administrator.
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We can create aggregations for faster MDX statements using Aggregation Wizard or thru UBO – Usage Based Optimizations. Always, prefer UBO method in realtime performance troubleshooting.
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The Enable/Disable Writeback dialog box enables or disables writeback for a measure group in a cube. Enabling wri
teback on a measure group defines a writeback partition and creates a writeback table for that measure group. Disabling writeback on a measure group removes the writeback partition but does not delete the writeback table, to avoid unanticipated data loss.
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Processing is a critical and resource intensive operation in the data warehouse lifecycle and needs to be carefully optimized and executed. Analysis Services offers a high performance and scalable processing architecture with a comprehensive set of controls for database administrators.
We can process an OLAP database, individual cube, Dimension or a specific Partition in a cube.
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The following table lists the business intelligence enhancements that are available in Microsoft SQL Server Analysis Services (SSAS). The table also shows the cube or dimension to which each business intelligence enhancement applies, and indicates whether an enhancement can be applied to an object that was created without using a data source and for which no schema has been generated.
Enhancement | Type | Applied to | No data source |
Time Intelligence | Cube | Cube | No |
Account Intelligence | Dimension | Dimension or cube | No |
Dimension Intelligence | Dimension | Dimension or cube | Yes |
Custom Aggregation | Dimension | Dimension (unary operator) or cube | No |
Semiadditive Behavior | Cube | Cube | Yes |
Custom Member Formula | Dimension | Dimension or cube | No |
Custom Sorting and Uniqueness Settings | Dimension | Dimension or cube | Yes |
Dimension Writeback | Dimension | Dimension or cube | Yes |
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This is a great question because you only know this answer by experience. If you ask me this question, the answer practically rushes out of me. “CrossJoin, Descendants, and NonEmpty, in addition to Sum, Count, and Aggregate. My personal favorite is CrossJoin because it allows me identify non-contiguous slices of the cube and aggregate even though those cube cells don’t roll up to a natural ancestor.” Indeed, CrossJoin has easily been my bread and butter.
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The reflexive answer is “in the Measures dimension” but this is the obvious answer. So I always follow up with another question. “If you want to create a calculated member that intersects all measures, where do you put it?” A high percentage of candidates can’t answer this question, and the answer is “In a dimension other than Measures.” If they can answer it, I immediately ask them why. The answer is “Because a member in a dimension cannot intersect its own relatives in that dimension.”
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SQL Server Integration Services (SSIS) is a component of SQL Server which can be used to perform a wide range of Data Migration and ETL operations. SSIS is a component in MSBI process of SQL Server.
This is a platform for Integration and Workflow applications. It is known for a fast and flexible OLTP and OLAP extensions used for data extraction, transformation, and loading (ETL). The tool may also be used to automate maintenance of SQL Server databases and multidimensional data sets.
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We use Business Intelligence Development Studio (BIDS) and SQL Server Management Studio (SSMS) to work with Development of SSIS Projects. We use SSMS to manage the SSIS Packages and Projects.
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Data Transformation Services | SQL Server Integration Services |
Limited Error Handling | Complex and powerful Error Handling |
Message Boxes in ActiveX Scripts | Message Boxes in .NET Scripting |
No Deployment Wizard | Interactive Deployment Wizard |
Limited Set of Transformation | Good number of Transformations |
NO BI functionality | Complete BI Integration |
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Workflow is a set of instructions on to specify the Program Executor on how to execute tasks and containers within SSIS Packages.
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A control flow consists of one or more tasks and containers that execute when the package runs. To control order or define the conditions for running the next task or container in the package control flow, we use precedence constraints to connect the tasks and containers in a package. A subset of tasks and containers can also be grouped and run repeatedly as a unit within the package control flow. SQL Server Integration Services (SSIS) provides three different types of control flow elements: Containers that provide structures in packages, Tasks that provide functionality, and Precedence Constraints that connect the executables, containers, and tasks into an ordered control flow.
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Data flow consists of the sources and destinations that extract and load data, the transformations that modify and extend data, and the paths that link sources, transformations, and destinations The Data Flow task is the executable within the SSIS package that creates, orders, and runs the data flow. A separate instance of the data flow engine is opened for each Data Flow task in a package. Data Sources, Transformations, and Data Destinations are the three important categories in the Data Flow.
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When a data flow component applies a transformation to column data, extracts data from sources, or loads data into destinations, errors can occur. Errors frequently occur because of unexpected data values.
Type of typical Errors in SSIS:
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An environment variable configuration sets a package property equal to the value in an environment variable. Environmental configurations are useful for configuring properties that are dependent on the computer that is executing the package.
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SSIS includes logging features that write log entries when run-time events occur and can also write custom messages. This is not enabled by default. Integration Services supports a diverse set of log providers, and gives you the ability to create custom log providers. The Integration Services log providers can write log entries to text files, SQL Server Profiler, SQL Server, Windows Event Log, or XML files. Logs are associated with packages and are configured at the package level. Each task or container in a package can log information to any package log. The tasks and containers in a package can be enabled for logging even if the package itself is not.
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SSIS Project BUILD provides a Deployment Manifest File. We need to run the manifest file and decide whether to deploy this onto File System or onto SQL Server [ msdb]. SQL Server Deployment is very faster and more secure then File System Deployment. Alternatively, we can also import the package from SSMS from File System or SQL Server.
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Variables store values that a SSIS package and its containers, tasks, and event handlers can use at run time. The scripts in the Script task and the Script component can also use variables. The precedence constraints that sequence tasks and containers into a workflow can use variables when their constraint definitions include expressions. Integration Services supports two types of variables: user-defined variables and system variables. User-defined variables are defined by package developers, and system variables are defined by Integration Services. You can create as many user-defined variables as a package requires, but you cannot create additional system variables.
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Microsoft SQL Server 2014 Analysis Services (SSAS) delivers online analytical processing (OLAP) and data mining functionality for business intelligence applications. Analysis Services supports OLAP by letting us design, create, and manage multidimensional structures that contain data aggregated from other data sources, such as relational databases. For data mining applications, Analysis Services lets we design, create, and visualize data mining models that are constructed from other data sources by using a wide variety of industry-standard data mining algorithms.
Analysis Services is a middle tier server for analytical processing, OLAP, and Data mining. It manages multidimensional cubes of data and provides access to heaps of information including aggregation of data. One can create data mining models from data sources and use it for Business Intelligence also including reporting features.
Analysis service provides a combined view of the data used in OLAP or Data mining. Services here refer to OLAP, Data mining. Analysis services assists in creating, designing and managing multidimensional structures containing data from varied sources. It provides a wide array of data mining algorithms for specific trends and needs.
Some of the key features are:
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The role of a Unified Dimensional Model (UDM) is to provide a bridge between the user and the data sources. A UDM is constructed over one or more physical data sources, and then the end user issues queries against the UDM using one of a variety of client tools, such as Microsoft Excel. At a minimum, when the UDM is constructed merely as a thin layer over the data source, the advantages to the end user are a simpler, more readily understood model of the data, isolation from heterogeneous backend data sources, and improved performance for summary type queries. In some scenarios a simple UDM like this is constructed totally automatically. With greater investment in the construction of the UDM, additional benefits accrue from the richness of metadata that the model can provide.
The UDM provides the following benefits:
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Analysis Services is the only component in SQL Server using which we can perform Analysis and Forecast operations.
SSAS is very easy to use and interactive.
Faster Analysis and Troubleshooting.
Ability to create and manage Data warehouses.
Apply efficient Security Principles.
Ans:
SSAS uses both server and client components to supply OLAP and data mining functionality BI Applications.
The server component is implemented as a Microsoft Windows service. Each instance of Analysis Services implemented as a separate instance of the Windows service.
Clients communicate with Analysis Services using the standard XMLA (XML For Analysis) , protocol for issuing commands and receiving responses, exposed as a web service.
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An OLAP Engine is used for enabling fast adhoc queries by end users. A user can interactively explore data by drilling, slicing or pivoting.
Drilling refers to the process of exploring details of the data.
Slicing refers to the process of placing data in rows and columns.
Pivoting refers to switching categories of data between rows and columns.
In OLAP, we will be using what are called as Dimensional Databases.
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A database is called an OLAP Database if the database satisfies the FASMI rules :
Fast Analysis– is defined in the OLAP scenario in five seconds or less.
Shared – Must support access to data by many users in the factors of Sensitivity and Write Backs.
Multidimensional – The data inside the OLAP Database must be multidimensional in structure.
Information – The OLAP database Must support large volumes of data.
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Structured Query Language (SQL)
Multidimensional Expressions (MDX) – an industry standard query language orientated towards analysis
Data Mining Extensions (DMX) – an industry standard query language oriented toward data mining.
Analysis Services Scripting Language (ASSL) – used to manage Analysis Services database objects.
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Cubes are multidimensional models that store data from one or more sources.
Cubes can also store aggregations
SSAS Cubes are created using the Cube Wizard.
We also build Dimensions when creating Cubes.
Cubes can see only the DSV( logical View).
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The difference between a derived measure and a calculated measure is when the calculation is performed. A derived measure is calculated before aggregations are created, and the values of the derived measure are stored in the cube. A calculated measure is calculated after aggregations are created, and the values of a calculated measure aren’t stored in the cube. The primary criterion for choosing between a derived measure and a calculated measure is not efficiency, but accuracy.
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A partition in Analysis Services is the physical location of stored cube data. Every cube has at least one partition by default. Each time we create a measure group, another partition is created. Queries run faster against a partitioned cube because Analysis Services only needs to read data from the partitions that contain the answers to the queries. Queries run even faster when partition also stores aggregations, the pre calculated totals for additive measures. Partitions are a powerful and flexible means of managing cubes, especially large cubes.
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Nonempty behavior is important property for ratio calculations. If the denominator Is empty, an MDX expression will return an error just as it would if the denominator Were equal to zero. By selecting one or more measures for the Non-Empty Behavior property, we are establishing a requirement that each selected measure first be evaluated before the calculation expression is evaluated. If each selected measure is empty, then The expression is also treated as empty and no error is returned.
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Under normal circumstances, each level in a hierarchy in Microsoft SQL Server Analysis Services (SSAS) has the same number of members above it as any other member at the same level. In a ragged hierarchy, the logical parent member of at least one member is not in the level immediately above the member. When this occurs, the hierarchy descends to different levels for different drilldown paths. Expanding through every level for every drilldown path is then unnecessarily complicated.
Ans:
The role of an Analysis Services information worker is the traditional “domain expert” role in business intelligence (BI) someone who understands the data employed by a solution and is able to translate the data into business information. The role of an Analysis Services information worker often has one of the following job titles: Business Analyst (Report Consumer), Manager (Report Consumer), Technical Trainer, Help Desk/Operation, or Network Administrator.
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1. Cubes are multidimensional models that store data from one or more sources.
2. Cubes can also store aggregations
3. SSAS Cubes are created using the Cube Wizard.
4. We also build Dimensions when creating Cubes.
5. Cubes can see only the DSV( logical View).
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We can create aggregations for faster MDX statements using Aggregation Wizard or thru UBO – Usage Based Optimizations. Always, prefer UBO method in realtime performance troubleshooting.
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The Enable/Disable Writeback dialog box enables or disables writeback for a measure group in a cube. Enabling writeback on a measure group defines a writeback partition and creates a writeback table for that measure group. Disabling writeback on a measure group removes the writeback partition but does not delete the writeback table, to avoid unanticipated data loss.
Ans:
Processing is a critical and resource intensive operation in the data warehouse lifecycle and needs to be carefully optimized and executed. Analysis Services offers a high performance and scalable processing architecture with a comprehensive set of controls for database administrators.We can process an OLAP database, individual cube, Dimension or a specific Partition in a cube.
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The following table lists the business intelligence enhancements that are available in Microsoft SQL Server Analysis Services (SSAS). The table also shows the cube or dimension to which each business intelligence enhancement applies, and indicates whether an enhancement can be applied to an object that was created without using a data source and for which no schema has been generated.
Enhancement | Type | Applied to | No data Source |
Time Intelligence | Cube | Cube | No |
Account Intelligence | Dimension | Dimension or cube | No |
Dimension Intelligence | Dimension | Dimension or cube | Yes |
Custom Aggregation | Dimension | Dimension (unary operator) or cube | No |
Semiadditive Behavior | Cube | Cube | Yes |
Custom Member Formula | Dimension | Dimension or cube | No |
Custom Sorting and Uniqueness Settings | Dimension | Dimension or cube | Yes |
Dimension Writeback | Dimension | Dimension or cube | Yes |
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This is a great question because you only know this answer by experience. If you ask me this question, the answer practically rushes out of me. “CrossJoin, Descendants, and NonEmpty, in addition to Sum, Count, and Aggregate. My personal favorite is CrossJoin because it allows me identify non-contiguous slices of the cube and aggregate even though those cube cells don’t roll up to a natural ancestor.” Indeed, CrossJoin has easily been my bread and butter.
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The reflexive answer is “in the Measures dimension” but this is the obvious answer. So I always follow up with another question. “If you want to create a calculated member that intersects all measures, where do you put it?” A high percentage of candidates can’t answer this question, and the answer is “In a dimension other than Measures.” If they can answer it, I immediately ask them why. The answer is “Because a member in a dimension cannot intersect its own relatives in that dimension.”
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Simply using bottomcount will return customers with null sales. You will have to combine it with NONEMPTY or FILTER.
SELECT { [Measures].[Internet Sales Amount] } ON COLUMNS ,
BOTTOMCOUNT(
NONEMPTY(DESCENDANTS( [Customer].[Customer Geography].[All Customers]
, [Customer].[Customer Geography].[Customer] )
, ( [Measures].[Internet Sales Amount] ) )
, 10
, ( [Measures].[Internet Sales Amount] )
) ON ROWS
FROM [Adventure Works]
WHERE ( [Date].[Calendar].[Calendar Year].&[2003] ) ;
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By default Analysis Services returns members in an order specified during attribute design. Attribute properties that define ordering are “OrderBy” and “OrderByAttribute”. Lets say we want to see order counts for each year. In Adventure Works MDX query would be:
SELECT {[Measures].[Reseller Order Quantity]} ON 0
, [Date].[Calendar].[Calendar Year].Members ON 1
FROM [Adventure Works];
Same query using TopCount:
SELECT
{[Measures].[Reseller Order Quantity]} ON 0,
TopCount([Date].[Calendar].[Calendar Year].Members,3, [Measures].[Reseller Order Quantity]) ON 1
FROM [Adventure Works];
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Use could usefunctionSet.Item(0)
Example:
SELECT {{ [Date].[Calendar].[Calendar Year].Members }}.Item(0)
ON 0
FROM [Adventure Works]}
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You can use ALTER CUBE statement. Syntax:
ALTER CUBE CurrentCube | YourCubeName UPDATE DIMENSION , DEFAULT_MEMBER=”;
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SQL Server Reporting Service is one of the server-based software systems that generate reports developed by Microsoft. It is used for preparing and delivering interactive and variety of printed reports. It is administered through an interface that is web based. Reporting services utilizes a web service interface for supporting and developing of customized reporting applicatons. It can be competed with Crystal Reports and other business intelligence tools.
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Reporting services architecture comprises of integrated components. It is a multi-tiered, included with application, server and data layers. This architecture is scalable and modular. A single installation can be used across multiple computers. It includes the following components: –
Report Manager, Reporting Designer, Browser Types Supported by Reporting services, Report server, Report server command line utilities, Report Server Database, Reporting Services Extensibility, Data sources that is supported by Reporting Services.
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The Reporting Lifecycle includes –
Report designing:
The designing is done in Visual Studio Report Designer. It generates a class which embodies the Report Definition. –
Report processing:
The processing includes binging the report definition with data from the report data source. It performs on all grouping, sorting and filtering calculations. The expressions are evaluated except the page header, footer and section items. Later it fires the Binding event and Bound event. As a result of the processing, it produces Report Instance. Report instance may be persisted and stored which can be rendered at a later point of time.
Report Rendering:
Report rendering starts by passing the Report Instance to a specific rendering extension (HTML or PDF formats). The instance of reports is paged if paging supported by output format. The expressions of items are evaluated in the page header and footer sections for every page. As a final step, the report is rendered to the specific output document.
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To tune-up the Reporting Services, follow the below mentioned ways: – Expand the Server or utilizing the reporting services of another database server. For better embedding of report contents, report application’s logic and characteristics can have a duplicate copy of data. – Replication of data continuously. Using nolock, the issues of locking can well be resolved and the performance of the query can be improved. This can be done by using dirty read at the time of duplicating the data is unavailable.
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Reporting Services provides data-driven subscriptions so that you can customize the distribution of a report based on dynamic subscriber data. Data-driven subscriptions are intended for the following kinds of scenarios: Distributing reports to a large recipient pool whose membership may change from one distribution to the next. For example distribute a monthly report to all current customers. Distributing reports to a specific group of recipients based on predefined criteria. For example send a sales performance report to the top ten sales managers in an organization.
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Logical page breaks are page breaks that you insert before or after report items or groups. Page breaks help to determine how the content is fitted to a report page for optimal viewing when rendering or exporting the report. The following rules apply when rendering logical page breaks: Logical page breaks are ignored for report items that are constantly hidden and for report items where the visibility is controlled by clicking another report item. Logical page breaks are applied on conditionally visible items if they are currently visible at the time the report is rendered. Space is preserved between the report item with the logical page break and its peer report items. Logical page breaks that are inserted before a report item push the report item down to the next page. The report item is rendered at the top of the next page. Logical page breaks defined on items in table or matrix cells are not kept. This does not apply to items in lists.
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Create a data-driven subscription that uses the Null Delivery Provider. When you specify the Null Delivery Provider as the method of delivery in the subscription, the report server targets the report server database as the delivery destination and uses a specialized rendering extension called the null rendering extension. In contrast with other delivery extensions, the Null Delivery Provider does not have delivery settings that you can configure through a subscription definition.
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Report manager is a web application. In SSRS it is accessed by a URL. The interface of this Report manager depends on the permissions of the user. This means to access any functionality or perform any task, the user must be assigned a role. A user with a role of full permissions can entire all the features and menus of the report. To configure the report manager, a URL needs to be defined.
Report manager is a web application. In SSRS it is accessed by a URL. The interface of this Report manager depends on the permissions of the user. This means to access any functionality or perform any task, the user must be assigned a role. A user with a role of full permissions can entire all the features and menus of the report. To configure the report manager, a URL needs to be defined.
Reporting services components assist in development. These processing components include some tools that are used to create, manage and view reports. A report designer is used to create the reports. a report sever is used to execute and distribute reports. a report manager is used to manage the report server.
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Crystal reports are processed by IIS while SSRS have a report server. Caching in Crystal reports is available through cache server. On the other hand, caching in SSRS is available for Report history snapshots. Crystal reports have standards and user defined field labels. SSRS allows only user defined field labels.
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Report Builder is a business-user, ad-hoc report design client that allows users to design reports based on the business terms (Report Builder model) they are familiar with, but without needing to understand database schemas or how to write SQL or MDX queries. Report Builder works with both SQL Server and Analysis Services data sources.
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Report Builder supports relational SQL and Analysis Services data sources in SQL Server. To create a model for Analysis Services cube, go to Report Manager or Management Studio, create a data source for your Analysis Services database, and then select the Generate Model option to create the model.
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While models that provide access to SQL Server Analysis Services are automatically generated on the report server, the Report Builder Model Designer can be used to generate or modify the models that are built on top of SQL Server relational databases. These model-building projects are a new type of project within a Visual Studio–based development shell.
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In the filter dialog box, click the name of the criteria that you would like to prompt the user for when viewing the report. For example, for the criteria Order Year=2000, click Order Year. Select the Prompt option in the drop-down list.
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In addition to the data source types available in SSRS (SQL Server, Oracle, ODBC, OLE DB), the following have been added in SSRS 2012: SQL Server Analysis Services SQL Server Integration Services SQL Server Report Builder Models XML (through URL and Web services)
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Visual Studio / SSDT / BI Data Tools (Standard and Enterprise editions) contains a set of freely redistributable Report Viewer controls that make it easy to embed Reporting Services functionality into custom applications. Two versions of the Report Viewer exist, one for rich Windows client applications and one for ASP.NET applications.
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In addition to publishing reports to a report server, you can build reports using the Report Designer that is directly integrated with Visual Studio language projects. You can embed reports directly in any Windows Forms or ASP.NET Web application without access to a report server. The data access in embedded reports is a natural extension of the Visual Studio data facilities. Not only can you use traditional databases as a source of data for your reports, you can use object collections as well.
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Reporting Services does not import data. It only queries data in whatever format it is stored in their native storage system. I will assume that you’re asking whether you can create reports and use Excel spreadsheets as data sources. The answer is Yes, Reporting Services supports a wide variety of data sources, including Excel files. You’ll get the best performance with the built-in native .NET providers but you should be able to connect to any ODBC or OLE-DB data source, whether it comes from Microsoft or a third-party company.
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Your reports can only be deployed on a reporting services site. Your only option for viewing them from other sites is an HTTP link. Some tools, like SharePoint offer controls allowing you to view reports in the context of the other websites, but the report is still deployed to and hosted from reporting services.
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We have an ASP.NET project that populates a datagrid. Using datagrid as my datasource for my report using SQL Server Reporting Services. Is this possible? The simple answer is no. However, nothing’s ever simple. A set of reporting controls was added in Visual Studio 2010 allowing you to report in a dataset, on data that was supplied by you. So, if you retrieved your data into a dataset, bound the datagrid to the dataset so it had data to display, you could then use that dataset as the datasource for the reporting controls. These are then client-side reports, not server reports though.
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For many years, Microsoft had no direct solution for reporting with the SQL Server besides Crystal Reports. Now, they have SQL Server Reporting Services, but it does have several drawbacks. It is still complex to understand the complete functionality and structure of this new component, and many users are still relying on the reporting application they are more familiar with, which is Crystal Reports. Also, components in SSRS like Report Builder and Report Designer are meant for different users for different aspects of the report process, yet complete understanding and exposure to both is important to utilize both functions fully and extensively. There are also issues when exporting very large reports to Microsoft Excel, as it can lead to a loss of data.
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Yes, but not because of SSRS. The Internet Information Services (IIS) component of Windows XP only allows a small number of users to connect to the website at once. As SSRS runs via IIS, this would prevent more than a few people from using SSRS at once. Also, the only edition of SSRS that will install on Windows XP is the Developer Edition. This edition can not be used for production use. You need Standard or Enterprise Edition for production use, which requires a Server OS to install on (Windows 2003 Standard, Windows 2008 Standard, etc).
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When my users are trying to export a SSRS report into Microsoft Excel, one or two columns in the report appear to merge together. Why might this be? Exporting from SSRS is not always perfect, even if you stay within the Microsoft range of products. If you have extra resources, you could splurge for an add-on that offers much better control over exporting to Excel, such as OfficeWriter. From my experience, though, it is usually headers or footers that cause exporting issues. If any of these headers or footers overlap with data columns in your report, you will find that the exported version of the report has merged cells. Also, check columns next to each other to make sure that there is no overlap, as well.
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Often there is a requirement to be able to send a SSRS report in Excel, PDF or another format to different users from a SSIS package one it has finished performing a data load. In order to do this, first you need to create a subscription to the report. You can create a SSRS report subscription from Report Manager. At the report subscription you can mention the report format and the email address of the recipient. When you create a schedule for the SSRS report, a SQL Server Agent Job will be created. From the SSIS, by using sp_start_job and passing the relevant job name you can execute the SSRS report subscription.
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