{"id":26409,"date":"2020-11-30T08:20:52","date_gmt":"2020-11-30T16:20:52","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/careerkarma.com\/blog\/?p=26409"},"modified":"2020-11-30T08:20:56","modified_gmt":"2020-11-30T16:20:56","slug":"ssas","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/careerkarma.com\/blog\/ssas\/","title":{"rendered":"How to Learn SSAS: What SQL Server Analysis Services Are"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

In response to the need to analyze large quantities of data, the field of business intelligence<\/a> was created. But as the amount of data grew and requests to analyze information from payment transactions, Fitbit data, and more piled high, it seemed an impossible task. But Microsoft saved the day for businesses with its SQL Server Analysis Services (SSAS) and models, like the Power BI service and the tabular model. 
<\/p>\n\n\n\n

SSAS helps businesses gain valuable insight through data mining and data science<\/a>. The goal of SSAS is to use this data to improve customer experiences and decrease business costs. 
<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What\u2019s more, SSAS can also be used to mine data for businesses to be used in areas like data science, artificial intelligence<\/a>, business intelligence, machine learning<\/a>, and cloud computing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What Is SSAS?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

The two main types of SSAS are Azure and Microsoft\u2019s SQL Server Analysis Services. They are data mining and online analytical processing (OLAP) tools that are easily accessible to companies worldwide. 
<\/p>\n\n\n\n

These services cover reporting, integration, and analysis. Analysis services consist of two types of OLAP and data mining: multidimensional and tabular. OLAP is part of the broader category of business intelligence, which encompasses relational databases, data mining, and report writing. 
<\/p>\n\n\n\n

SSAS creates an instant connection to backend data and has predictive analytic capabilities that use familiar applications like Microsoft Excel<\/a> and SharePoint. In a nutshell, SSAS technology helps create accessible and easy to read data, to help insights from data.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Types of SSAS Models<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

To get a better understanding of what SSAS is, let\u2019s look at the two main types of models we use today. These will lend some insight into what server analysis services are and the principal differences between the models. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Tabular Modeling<\/h4>\n\n\n\n

The Tabular model is an in-memory table, which means that all the data is stored in the memory. It compresses this data using a technology called VertiPaq, which can store more than a terabyte of data. In Azure, you can store 400 gigabytes of data, so you can handle large data sets.
<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Tabular models can also summarize queries at fast speeds, and are organized in low detail columns and tables. The goal of this model is to make data simple to understand and to help businesses gain valuable insight.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Multidimensional Data Model<\/h4>\n\n\n\n

The multidimensional model predates the tabular model. In this model, all data is written to disk rather than stored in memory. This makes the multidimensional model slower. It is also not available on Azure. This model works by building complex cubes of data that can be used to store and locate data. 
<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Although it is a slower and more complex process, it does have some functions that are unavailable in the tabular model.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

SSAS Terms Explained<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Here are some examples of typical terms that are used when discussing SSAS. Read through these so you can get a basic understanding of the systems before beginning a course in SSAS.
<\/p>\n\n\n\n