You must register at http://www.clicktoattend.com/?id=159261 in order to be admitted to the building and attend.
BI In The Sky? – Where We Are With SQL Azure Reporting Services
SQL Azure is Microsoft’s database-as-a-service in the cloud. It offers a robust subset of SQL Server 2008 R2. That ‘subset’ is always growing over time. One thing that didn’t make the original cut, but is available now in preview mode is SQL Azure Reporting Services. We’ll take a look at what SQL Azure has to offer, including the tools, new web portal, new Federations feature, as well as the new Reporting Services features.
Presenter: Peter Laudati
Peter Laudati, the “JrzyShr Dev Guy,” is a Developer Evangelist with Microsoft, based in the New York/New Jersey area. Peter spends most of his time these days focused on Windows Azure and cloud computing. One of his roles is supporting and educating developers working Microsoft technologies. Peter supports the developer community in the NY Metro area by speaking at user group events, Code Camps, and various tech conferences. Peter is also the co-host of the “Connected Show” (www.connectedshow.com), a podcast focused on the cloud and connecting Microsoft technology with non-Microsoft technology. His blog can be found at http://www.peterlaudati.com. You can also follow him on Twitter @Jrzyshr.
Date/Time:
2-13-2012 6:00 P.M. – 8:30 P.M.
Location:
Microsoft NYC offices, 1290 Avenue of the Americas, 6th Floor, New York, NY, 10104
SQL Server 2012: Exploring Power View (formerly Project Crescent) and Business Intelligence Semantic Model (BISM) – January 9, 2012
You must register at http://www.clicktoattend.com/?id=158710 in order to be admitted to the building and attend.
SQL Server 2012: Exploring Power View (formerly Project Crescent) and Business Intelligence Semantic Model (BISM)
This session will be an overview of new end user Business Intelligence tools that will be delivered in SQL Server 2012, including Power View (formerly Project Crescent) and the Business Intelligence Semantic Model (BISM). Power View is a new tool that allows end users to visualize data and perform sophisticated analyses on their own. BISM provides a level of data abstraction which allows end users to find and select data without needing a deep understanding of database schema design or dimensional concepts. Attendees of this session will leave with an understanding of how to develop BISM models, Power View reports and Tabular Analysis Services cubes, which are new to SQL Server 2012.
Presenter: Jaimie Fox, Microsoft
Jaimie Fox is a Technical Solutions Professional for Microsoft in the NY/NJ Metro district where he is the district’s database/BI community lead. He has 15 years of experience in delivering business analysis, data warehousing, and business intelligence solutions. Jaimie has spent most of his career as a consultant helping various organizations by architecting and developing solutions on Microsoft’s Business Intelligence stack on SQL Server and SharePoint. Jaimie has worked with all versions of SQL Server since version 6.5 while his knowledge of SharePoint is still growing.
Date/Time:
1-09-2012 6:00 P.M. – 8:30 P.M.
Location:
Microsoft NYC offices, 1290 Avenue of the Americas, 6th Floor, New York, NY, 10104
You must register at https://www.clicktoattend.com/invitation.aspx?code=158248 in order to be admitted to the building and attend.
Denali in PowerPivot: Self-Service BI hits the Big Time
I’ll admit it – I wanted to like the first release of Microsoft PowerPivot. I realized it was a 1.0 version, and wasn’t intended to be a full replacement for Analysis Services. In the last year, I trained people on it, and I implemented it for a customer – but I wanted more. Well, borrowing from S.E. Hinton’s “That was Then, This is Now” theme, Microsoft is releasing a new version of PowerPivot in SQL Server Denali, and PowerPivot 2.0 is a remarkable and substantial upgrade over PowerPivot 1.0.
I’ll take a stripped down version of an actual production database and demonstrate “corporate BI” with PowerPivot 2.0. Along the way, I’ll focus on some of the enhancements in PowerPivot 2.0, including the new Diagram View and Hierarchy designer, the ability to create multiple relationships, the new Measure Grid to create actual measures, as well as other welcome additions (such as “Sort by” columns and drillthrough capabilities, to address some of the shortcomings in PowerPivot 1.0). I’ll also construct a data-driven KPI, using the new KPI features in PowerPivot 2.0.
Microsoft continues to leverage existing Analysis Services features in PowerPivot 2.0 – I’ll demonstrate two such features, perspectives and aggregations.
I’ll also show some of the new DAX features in PowerPivot 2.0. PowerPivot 1.0 introduced the new DAX programming language, which is a hybrid of Excel macros and MDX. PowerPivot 2.0 features 30 new DAX functions, such as ranking/statistical functions, filtering functions, and lookup functions. I certainly can’t show all 30 new DAX features, but I will certainly demonstrate a handful of them. I’ll also offer a few performance tips regarding the use of certain DAX functions.
Additionally, I’ll show a scenario where we can implement dynamic role security with the new PowerPivot DAX function UserName(), to limit visibility of data based on the current domain user name – something that is very critical in many corporate settings, and was also lacking in the first version of PowerPivot.
Finally, I’ll show how to publish PowerPivot content to SharePoint 2010, and how to schedule a data refresh and verify the refresh using the PowerPivot Management Dashboard in SharePoint.
Presenter:
Kevin S. Goff
Kevin S. Goff is Microsoft SQL Server MVP and has been a recipient of the MVP award since 2005. He is the SQL Server/Business Intelligence Practice Manager for SetFocus, a Microsoft Gold Partner for Learning Solutions. Kevin writes regularly for CoDe Magazine on different SQL Server/BI topics, and speaks regularly in the Mid-Atlantic region at CodeCamp, SQL Server, and SharePoint Community Events. He was the lead author on one book, a contributing author on a second book, and has just started his third book. His email address is kgoff@kevinsgoff.net, and his website/blog is http://www.kevinsgoff.net
Date/Time:
12-12-2011 6:00 P.M. – 8:30 P.M.
Location:
Microsoft NYC offices, 1290 Avenue of the Americas, 6th Floor, New York, NY, 10104
You must register at http://www.clicktoattend.com/?id=158041 in order to be admitted to the building and attend.
SQL Server 2012: A First-Hand Report from the PASS Summit
The next version of SQL Server is coming and along with it, a ton of features for BI practitioners. Come to this session for a full briefing on Microsoft’s SQL Server announcements, made just a few weeks ago at the PASS Summit 2011 in Seattle, WA. We’ll review and distill announcements pertaining to PowerView (formerly Project “Crescent”), Analysis Services Tabular Mode, Microsoft’s Hadoop initiatives, “Data Explorer”, enhancements to SQL Azure and more. Jeff will analyze and explain what these technologies are, demo a few of them along the way and explain their relevance to BI. If you missed PASS itself, then you won’t want to miss this session.
Presenter:
Jeff Bolton, Tallan
Jeff Bolton is a database architect for Tallan, a leading IT services firm specializing in custom solutions. With nearly 25 years of IT experience, Jeff has experience in all aspects of technology. He currently specializes in architecting and implementing data warehouses and BI solutions.
Date/Time:
11-14-2011 6:00 P.M. – 8:30 P.M.
Location:
Microsoft NYC offices, 1290 Avenue of the Americas, 6th Floor, New York, NY, 10104
Evolved BI with SQL Server “Denali” – October 10, 2011
You must register at https://www.clicktoattend.com/invitation.aspx?code=157446 in order to be admitted to the building and attend.
Evolved BI with SQL Server “Denali”:
The next version of SQL Server, code-named “Denali,” steps up Microsoft’s BI game significantly. To start with, PowerPivot’s technology is now part of Analysis Services, in the form of BI Semantic Model (BISM) databases, and there are improvements to PowerPivot itself that everyone should know about. Next is project “Crescent,” which provides ad hoc, interactive data visualization and analysis. And even the non-BI world gets BI functionality in Denali, now that the VertiPaq columnar engine has been implemented for SQL Server relational databases. In this session, we’ll review all of these new capabilities in a demo-heavy manner. We’ll also learn about updates to Master Data Services and the introduction of Data Quality Services, Microsoft’s new data cleansing tool. Come to this session and get caught up on what’s next in Microsoft BI.
Presenter:
Andrew Brust, Blue Badge Insights
Andrew Brust is Founder and CEO of Blue Badge Insights, an analysis, strategy and advisory firm serving Microsoft customers and partners. Brust also serves as CTO for Tallan, a Microsoft National Systems Integrator; is a Microsoft Regional Director and MVP; an advisor to the New York Technology Council; and co-author of “Programming Microsoft SQL Server 2008″ (Microsoft Press, 2008). A frequent speaker at industry events, Brust is co-chair of the VSLive! family of conferences and a contributing editor to Visual Studio Magazine. Brust has been a participant in the Microsoft ecosystem for over 15 years, and has worked closely with both Microsoft’s Redmond-based corporate team and its field organization for much of the last 10. He is a member of the Microsoft Partner Advisory Council and several “insiders” groups that supply him with insight around important technologies out of Redmond.
Date/Time:
10-10-2011 6:00 P.M. – 8:30 P.M.
Location:
Microsoft NYC offices, 1290 Avenue of the Americas, 6th Floor, New York, NY, 10104
Future Proof your SQL Server Data Warehouse Processes
The role of Data Warehouses is growing to deliver more data, to more people, on a more frequent basis. This puts greater demands on the reliability and timeliness of data that’s being presented, as well as being able to quickly adapt to answer new business questions. SQL Server Integration Services provides a speedy mechanism to deliver information to business users, but presents the BI development team with a couple of soul-searching questions of how the ETL should be designed to ensure that the system “just works” on an ongoing basis. The session will explore some of the key questions on the design and organisation of your SSIS packages including: • How do we quickly deploy builds to the warehouse without a big configuration overhead? • How do we adapt to timing issues with data availability without pushing out the entire processing schedule? • How do we prove the data is right with each refresh and anticipate issues before they are raised by a business user? • How do we quickly diagnose data persistence issues that will inevitably arise? • How do avoid inconsistent ETL development controls developed with each project phase?
Presenter(s):
Nadav Rayman, BizData
Bio:
Nadav Rayman is a Director at BizData, a Microsoft Gold Specialised Business Intelligence partner based in Melbourne, Australia. In addition to providing implementation services, BizData delivers Perspective www.perspectiveilm.com – a software suite to assist organisations to expedite and manage their Microsoft BI environments. Nadav has been working in the BI arena for 12 years, with exposure to a variety of sub-disciplines such as predictive analytics, campaign management, budgeting/planning/forecasting and knowledge management. For the last 8 years, Nadav has focused on the Microsoft BI Platform and works with customers to establish a BI strategy and create conditions for successful user adoption. Nadav regularly presents to customers and at industry forums such as Tech Ed Australia, on how to get the most value out of a Microsoft BI investment. When not talking BI, you’ll find Nadav collaborating with some great Melbourne musicians on his studio and live music projects.
Date/Time:
09-12-2011 6:00 P.M. – 8:30 P.M.
Location:
Microsoft NYC offices, Microsoft – 1290 Avenue of the Americas, 6th Floor, , New York, NY, 10104,
Smarter Reporting with Microsoft Excel 2010 & PowerPivot for Excel
Microsoft Excel users have long used the familiar spreadsheet application to independently calculate numbers as well as sort and filter data. But what may surprise you is the powerful way you can now visualize your data in Excel 2010. If you need to analyze massive amounts of information, or data from multiple sources, Excel 2010′s faster engine and enhanced capabilities can help companies achieve a single integrated view of information needed for comprehensive enterprise-wide forecasting, analytics and reporting. This complimentary seminar will demonstrate practical advice and techniques for using Microsoft Excel 2010 and introduce its add-in, PowerPivot, for sophisticated analysis and reporting of business data. It will also describe how well Excel can integrate with other Microsoft products – such as SharePoint (collaboration platform) and SQL Server (information platform). Among the topics that we will cover are: •Most common problems and limitations when using previous versions of Excel for reporting. •How those problems are resolved in Excel 2010. •Results customers have achieved using Excel 2010 for reporting. •What PowerPivot is and how it raises the bar on reporting. •The HP Business Decision Appliance – the first ever self-service business intelligence appliance – and how it can rapidly extend the usage of PowerPivot workbooks and SharePoint reports to users across the organization with minimal IT resources. Join us at Microsoft’s New York office on July 11th to learn how your reporting can go from good to great!
Presenter(s):
Adam Worobec, Tallan
Bio:
Adam Worobec is the Business Intelligence Practice Director at Tallan. He is also a Microsoft Virtual Technical Specialist for BI. In his role, he works with Tallan’s clients to design data warehouse, data management, advanced reporting, and analytical solutions.
Date/Time:
07-11-2011 6:00 P.M. – 8:30 P.M.
Location:
Microsoft NYC offices, Microsoft – 1290 Avenue of the Americas, 6th Floor, , New York, NY, 10104,
The Business Case for Microsoft BI – June 13, 2011
The Business Case for Microsoft BI
In this session, Scott Stein from InsightSPI will present/discuss the business case for Microsoft BI and break through the “noise” to clarify the following: 1. How does the Microsoft BI platform play a key role in enterprise standardization and information management strategies? 2. How does the MS BI business case stack up to competitive BI platform value propositions? 3. How does the MS BI business case play across different industries? 4. How does the Microsoft BI platform support initiatives for Business Performance Management (BPM, or CPM, or EPM, or ExcedrinPM)? 5. How do MS BI platform choices increase BI project success rates and minimize project failures? Please come with questions, real-world scenarios or the desire for a clear view of how the Microsoft BI platform aligns with your organization’s goals.
Presenter(s):
Scott Stein, InsightSPI
Bio:
Scott Stein is co-founder and CEO of InsightSPI, a specialist provider of performance management software solutions and integrated business intelligence strategies. For more than 20 years, Scott has helped organizations embrace high-impact business intelligence and performance management capabilities, leveraging his background in enterprise software project management, business process consulting, and domain expertise that spans pharmaceutical, financial services, consumer products, retail, and transportation industries. Scott has led some of the largest and most complex global implementations of Microsoft’s BI platform, and is an inaugural member of Microsoft’s Business Intelligence Partner Advisory Council.
Date/Time:
06-13-2011 6:00 P.M. – 8:30 P.M.
Location:
Microsoft NYC offices, Microsoft – 1290 Avenue of the Americas, 6th Floor, , New York, NY, 10104,
Making SharePoint BI work: Kerberos Authentication for SharePoint 2010
Kerberos authentication, created at MIT and named after Hades’ three-headed guard dog Cerberus (according to Wikipedia), has been around for decades. The protocol is designed to provide rapid, secure authentication to users on a multi-system network, or “farm” as we like to call them. The main advantage of Kerberos over NTLM or forms-based authentication is the ability for a user’s identity to securely traverse multiple servers without requiring a re-key of the user’s credentials. This concept is referred to as single sign-on: login once to access everything. The most common example of Kerberos in practice involves Reporting Services. A user browses to a SharePoint document library to run a Report with data in a SQL Server database. SharePoint and SQL Server both implement Kerberos authentication to allow the user to view the Report using the user’s own credentials. No login prompts, no proxy accounts, no stored credentials. In this session, Christian Holslin will walk through, step by step, the process of configuring Kerberos authentication in a SharePoint 2010 farm environment.
Presenter(s):
Christian Holslin, Gig Werks
Bio:
Christian Holslin has over 10 years of professional industry experience working with Microsoft technologies with a focus on infrastructure and custom software development. Starting with Windows NT 4.0 and continuing through Windows Server 2008, Christian has been following the progression of the Microsoft Windows infrastructure which has refined his expertise in the area of SharePoint. Christian has been building SharePoint Solutions since 2006, with specific expertise in InfoPath and Reporting. Christian is currently a Solution Architect for SharePoint, Business Intelligence, and SQL Server database-driven projects at Gig Werks in New York. He is currently on the board of the New York City SharePoint Developers User Group and a Business Intelligence Virtual Technical Specialist for Microsoft.
Date/Time:
05-09-2011 6:00 P.M. – 8:30 P.M.
Location:
Microsoft NYC offices, Microsoft – 1290 Avenue of the Americas, 6th Floor, , New York, NY, 10104,
Integrating SQL Server Reporting Services 2008 with SharePoint 2010
Have you ever seen a SharePoint site that integrates reports from SSRS, and wonder how all the pieces fit? If so, this session is for you. I’ll cover the necessary integration/configuration steps for integrating SSRS 2008R2 with SharePoint 2010, as well as deploying reports to a SharePoint location. I’ll also show how to create custom web pages using SSRS web parts, how to build reports against SharePoint lists, as well as how to schedule reports for delivery to Sharepoint document libraries. Some of the sample reports will showcase the new SSRS 2008R2 mapping capabilities and other visualization enhancements.
Presenter(s):
Kevin Goff
Bio:
Microsoft SQL Server MVP 2010 Microsoft .NET/C# MVP 2005-2009 Columnist for Component Developer (CoDe) Magazine, 2004-2008, 2010 SQL Server/Business Intelligence Senior Trainer and Curriculum author, SetFocus LLC (Certified Gold Partner for Microsoft Learning Solutions) Industry developer/speaker/writer since 1987
Date/Time:
04-11-2011 6:00 P.M. – 8:30 P.M.
Location:
Microsoft NYC offices, Microsoft – 1290 Avenue of the Americas, 6th Floor, , New York, NY, 10104,
