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SQL Server 2008 R2 Business Intelligence Training Course

Version: February 2011 Initial Release

The SQL Server 2008 R2 Business Intelligence Training Course (SQLInsights) will help you learn how to build your first Microsoft Business Intelligence solution. SQLInsights is a great resource for developers, consultants and evangelists who need to learn the basics of how to build solutions that deliver integrated reporting, analytics and dashboard experiences. It contains a rich set of videos and hands-on labs that are perfect for self-paced learning.

Target Audience

Solution developers with SQL Server, Visual Studio and .NET development experience.

Common Prerequisites

The hands-on labs for this training course require the following prerequisite software to be installed and configured on your machine:

Units

Introduction to Microsoft Business Intelligence

Microsoft BI solutions leverage your existing technology investments in .NET, SQL Server and Office to develop rich integrated reporting and analytics experiences that empower users to gain access to accurate, up-to-date information for better, more relevant decision making. This unit provides an introduction to Business Intelligence and to Microsoft BI from a developer perspective.
Introduction to BI Modeling Techniques

This unit will introduce you to data common data modeling techniques used when building Microsoft BI solutions. Dimensional data models and semantic data models make it easy for developers and users alike to query and analyze data.
Introduction to SQL Server 2008 R2 Integration Services

In this unit you will learn how to develop an ETL process (extract, transform, load) with SQL Server 2008 R2 Integration Services (SSIS). Developers use SSIS packages to populate data models that are optimized for easy, high performance reporting and analytics experiences.
Introduction to SQL Server 2008 R2 Reporting Services

SQL Server 2008 R2 Reporting Services provides a complete collaborative reporting platform for developers who need to deliver integrated reporting experiences. This unit provides an overview of Reporting Services, and covers the the basics of how to design rich interactive reports. The ability to extend Reporting Services with custom logic is also discussed.
Publishing and Accessing SQL Server 2008 R2 Reporting Services Reports

This unit covers how to publish and access reports, including how to enable self-service reporting by publishing shared report components, and how to access reports programmatically from your own application.
Introduction to SQL Server 2008 R2 Analysis Services

This unit is a great place to start if you have never developed a cube and want to understand why you should. Developers worldwide use SQL Server 2008 R2 Analysis Services to build comprehensive, enterprise-scale analytic solutions that reach users through familiar applications. This unit will introduce you to the fundamentals of online analytical processing (OLAP), and the architecture of analytic solutions developed with Analysis Services. You will also learn how to programmatically extend Analysis Services.
Introduction to SQL Server 2008 R2 Analysis Services Query Syntax

Now that you understand the fundamentals of cube design, it’s time to learn how to query them. This unit will introduce you to the basics of using SQL Server 2008 R2 Analysis Services Multi-Dimensional Expressions (MDX) to develop powerful queries against your cubes. You will also learn how to use MDX to enhance the design of your cubes with calculated members, named sets and key performance indicators (KPIs).
Accessing SQL Server 2008 R2 Analysis Services Data

This unit wraps up our coverage of SQL Server 2008 R2 Analysis Services by describing how to access cube data from familiar tools like Reporting Services, Excel 2010 and SharePoint 2010 Excel Services.
Introduction to SharePoint 2010 PerformancePoint Services

Dashboards are a fundamental component of any performance management solution, and SharePoint 2010 PerformancePoint Services provides a rich set of tools and services for building highly interactive dashboard experiences that can help organizations of all sizes monitor and analyze their performance. This unit will introduce you to the fundamentals of performance management and how to develop rich dashboard experiences with SharePoint 2010 PerformancePoint Services based on SQL Server 2008 R2 Analysis Services data.
Introduction to Data Mining with SQL Server 2008 R2 Analysis Services

This module will introduce the fundamentals of data mining and how to develop data mining models with SQL Server 2008 R2 Analysis Services that can be used in a custom solution.
Introduction to Self-Service Reporting and Analysis with SQL Server 2008 R2

No matter how many high quality reports you develop, your users will always want more. They may want to change something on an existing report, do their own analysis on the same data, or create a brand new report altogether. You have two choices: either you can spend all of our time meeting this never ending demand, or you can put great tools and resources in place to enable self-service reporting and analytics. SQL Server 2008 R2 provides comprehensive tools and capabilities to satisfy even the most demanding user. This unit will introduce you to the fundamentals of self-service reporting and analytics with SQL Server 2008 R2, including how to enable great reporting experiences for your users with Report Builder 3.0 and great analytical experiences with PowerPivot for Excel 2010.

Microsoft Business Intelligence
TechNet Business Intelligence Resource Center
SQL Server Integration Services Team Blog
SQL Server Reporting Services Team Blog
PowerPivot Team Blog
PerformancePoint Services Team Blog