Great Intro to Data Mining Web Cast

I just got finished watching this web cast: http://msevents.microsoft.com/cui/WebCastEventDetails.aspx?EventID=1032289986&EventCategory=5&culture=en-US&CountryCode=US

It starts by defining what data mining is and what it isn't, and then presents several of the SQL Server 2005 Data Mining tools in a demonstration.  I highly recommend viewing this if you are completely new to Data Mining.

Database Administration for Non-Database-Administrators

The following article from TechNet lists the Top Tips for Effective Database Maintenance:

http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/magazine/cc671165.aspx

While I'm not actively administering a database, I have had control of a few in the past, and may in the future.  These tips may come in handy some day.

Chapter 1: Installing SQL Server Components

I've installed SQL Server a few times, so there wasn't much new in this chapter for me.  Important notes:

• Different versions of SQL Server support different levels of the Business Intelligence components.  A full list of differences is here: Microsoft SQL Server 2005 SQL Server 2005 Editions (or here for 2008: Microsoft SQL Server 2008 Editions)
• Business Intelligence Development Studio (BIDS) is Visual Studio.  Visual Studio 2005 is installed to support SQL 2005 Business Intelligence solutions.
• .NET Framework 2.0 is a prerequisite.
• Only the Standard and Enterprise versions support clustering, and only with Microsoft Clustering Services (MSCS).  Standard version only supports two nodes.  Clustering uses a shared-nothing model, in which only one node is active at a time.
• SQL Server Analysis Services (SSAS) only supports Windows Authentication and not mixed mode.
• SQL Server Service Packs are applied at the database instance level, so difference SQL Server instances can be at different service pack levels.  This would be useful for test environments, where you would want to test a service pack in a new instance without disturbing your tried-and-true test environment.

One additional interesting note: If you want to rename an Analysis Services instance, use the "ASInstanceRename.exe" executable, found by default in C:\Program Files\Microsoft SQL Server\90\Tools\Binn\VSShell\Common7\IDE.

Good Blog Read

I came across this blog entry by Derek Comingore: So you want to be a Microsoft DW/BI Pro.  He gives a chronological "learning plan" for how to learn Data Warehousing and Business Intelligence. At the end of the post, he gives some additional URLs to check out, many of which are blogs of other BI experts.

As I read his post, I was pleased to find out that I already knew the terminology and have some experience with some of the technologies.  I'm on the right path, it seems.

BI Resources

I asked my company's internal BI mailing list for suggestions on how to get up-to-speed on Business Intelligence technologies, and here are some of the responses.  Note that I have no personal experience with any of these references as of this date.

Books

• The Microsoft Data Warehouse Toolkit: With SQL Server 2005 and the Microsoft Business Intelligence Toolset
  [A] must have book to get you started with designing a data warehouse with SQL Server [...] It covers a beginning to end solution using Kimball design principals.
• Practical Business Intelligence with SQL Server 2005
  Even with 2008 coming out, book is still relevant - and it guides you through a practical example from the ground up,  from the relational database through data warehouse design, analysis services ,and reporting.

Web Sites

• http://www.ralphkimball.com
• http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/sqlserver/bb331753.aspx
• http://blogs.conchango.com/jamiethomson/archive/2007/07/18/Business-Intelligence_2C00_-what-is-it-and-what-is-it-not_3F00_.aspx
  [A] 30,000 foot view of what BI is, and what it is not

Whitepapers

• Microsoft SQL Server 2008 White Paper: Business Intelligence (a video is here)

As I get additional links I'll add to this list.

Objectives

I have two objectives in the next 10 months or so, and they are to pass a couple of Business Intelligence certification exams.  They are:

• Preparation Guide for Exam 70-445 TS Microsoft SQL Server 2005 Business Intelligence – Implementation and Maintenance
• Preparation Guide for Exam 70-446 PRO Designing a Business Intelligence Infrastructure by Using Microsoft SQL Server 2005

And to begin preparing for the first exam, I ordered the Self-Paced Study Guide from Amazon the other day (I'm not in the affiliate program for Amazon--that is a direct link to the product, and I do not receive any compensation for providing the link).

If it is similar to other study guides I've purchased, it has a CD ROM included with sample exam questions.  I used this method of studying effectively for passing the 70-431 exam earlier this year, though my score was barely above passing.

My plan for this exam is to combine the study guide with lots of hands-on work, though I'm finding that I don't have much spare time these days given work and family demands.  But I'll try to keep this blog updated with my progress.

Hello World

As is typical with a new programming language, new technology, or in this case a new blog, a "Hello World" is in order.  This post serves that mission.

My name is Steve Jackson, I'm a senior consultant dealing with Microsoft technologies.  I came up through C and C++ with a little bit of VB in the mix (mainly to test my C++ COM components).  I've been working with .NET for several years, now, mainly focusing on C#--I really love the new C# features such as Language Integrated Query (LINQ) and am working on a project currently which makes heavy use of it.

I recently decided to become a Business Intelligence (BI) expert.  I created this blog to chronicle my learning experiences, and plan to update it every so often with reports on how I'm doing.  I plan to provide examples of what I'm working on so that others out there going through the same experiences might benefit.

If you happen by this blog while searching for something BI related, please provide a comment on something you'd like to see.  At this point, I'm a total n00b, but I'll consider all suggestions and see what I can do to provide information on your subject.  Some of the folks I work with have been doing this for a while so I have access to some great minds!

I'm excited to be starting this journey and can't wait to see where it takes me.

"From the point of ignition
To the final drive,
The point of the journey
Is not to arrive."
  - Rush, Prime Mover