Applied Microsoft SQL Server 2012 Analysis Services: Tabular Modeling
This book is a few years old, but it remains as a good resource people are using, so I wanted to call out some details about it.
I helped out as the Technical Editor and Copy Editor. The author is Teo Lachev.
This book is available on Amazon here.
You can also view Teo's book on his site here:
This book is the industry resource for Tabular Modeling. Here is the book description:
An insightful tour that provides an authoritative yet independent view of this exciting technology, this guide introduces the Tabular side of the innovative Business Intelligence Semantic Model (BISM) that promotes rapid professional and self-service BI application development. Business analysts and power users will learn how to integrate data from multiple data sources, implement self-service BI applications with Excel, and deploy them to SharePoint. Business intelligence professionals and database administrators will discover how to build corporate solutions powered by BISM Tabular, delivering supreme performance with large data volumes, and how to implement a wide range of solutions for the entire spectrum of personal-team-organizational BI needs.Ideal for experienced BI professionals or beginners, this book features step-by-step instructions and demos for building reports and dashboards, deploying and managing tabular models, and integrating data from various sources. The online video tutorials include over 3 hours of recorded content that demonstrates selected book exercises.
Reviews
Next, let's dig into the Amazon reviews! See all the reviews here!
This book has six reviews. They're all positive, which is great. Teo and I had the goal to make this book as easy to understand and to get up and running as possible, and to make it a valuable resource that you could come back to. Let's dig deeper on some of the more passionate reviews...
This first review has the unique perspective of talking about the value of the book for universities to use as a textbook. The review is from Booksadored:
The best book for SSAS 2012 Tabular Model applications
Teo Lachev's book for SSAS 2012 is the best single book that I've found that is worthy as a practical textbook for SSAS BI applications for advanced graduate courses in databases and Business Intelligence in Ivy League universities. Many ohttps://blogs.msdn.microsoft.com/user_ed/2016/01/13/applied-microsoft-sql-server-2012-analysis-services-tabular-modeling/ther books exist on SQL Server Analysis Services (SSAS). However, few focus on Tabular Models, which are considerably easier to implement than Multidimensional model applications, and simpler to roll out to new users, modify, and maintain without big investments in training...
This author writes from the perspective of finishing many projects and sharing his learnings and wisdom with people new to SSAS and BI. It does NOT cover Multidimensional Models and MDX in any detail, which is GREAT. Those topics are covered well enough by many other authors. This book is well focused and detailed enough to help you get your projects done. It explains theory, concepts, and nomenclature well.
You can go from zero to hero in SSAS by reading and applying this book. Strongly recommended.
This next review comes from another key influencer in the BI community, Rob Kerr, SQL Server MVP:
If you want to buy only one PowerPivot/SSAS Tabular Book, this is it
It's not easy to find a technical book that provides an accessible introduction to a new technology while also including the necessary details to thoroughly understand and deploy it. This book is the rare find that accomplishes both.The title contains the word "Applied", and the book delivers on this promise. It teaches how to design and use Tabular models using SQL Server 2012, how to use DAX and how to design Power View reports. But it also provides excellent guidance on how various techniques, tools and deployment strategies should best be applied in personal, workgroup and enterprise scenarios.Many IT Professionals getting started with PowerPivot for Excel , PowerPivot for SharePoint or Analysis Services in Tabular mode will find this is the only book they need to launch their first successful Tabular project.
For another fantastic review, let's take a look at it from the perspective of a BI conference speaker. This review is from Alejandro Leguizamo, SQL Server MVP:
Authoritative and the best to get from zero to hero
I have had the chance to read Teo's books over the years, and they happen to be insightful, detailed and more than anything, absolutely helpful. This one is no exception, and keeps the bar on tradition with the high quality you expect. Teo is one of those authors that I use to reference when, after one of my conferences, someone asks me for a good comprehensive book on Microsoft's BI stack. Mix this one with Alberto and Marco on DAX and you will be ready for some fun.
Let's look at one final review. This one is from Arcane Code, Robert Cain, SQL Server MVP:
Great book for learning the new tabular model in SSAS
This is a great book for getting up and running quickly with the new tabular data model available in SQL Server Analysis Services 2012. I was able to read this book fairly quickly, good for a busy IT Professional.The book covers PowerPivot, PowerView, and the various ways to create the new tabular projects. If you are looking for something that will cover all aspects of the new Tabular abilities in SSAS 2012, I'd recommend this book without hesitation.
If this book is what you're looking for, take a look here:
https://www.amazon.com/dp/0976635356
Have a great week!
- Ninja Ed