Bøker av Adam Aspin

Intermediate-Advanced user level

Develop powerful data models that bind data from disparate sources into a coherent whole. Then extend your data models using DAX-the query language that underpins Power BI-to create reusable measures to deliver finely-crafted custom calculations in your dashboards.This book starts off teaching you how to define and enhance the core structures of your data model to make it a true semantic layer that transforms complex data into familiar business terms. You'll learn how to create calculated columns to solve basic analytical challenges. Then you'll move up to mastering DAX measures to finely slice and dice your data.The book also shows how to handle temporal analysis in Power BI using a Date dimension. You will see how DAX Time Intelligence functions can simplify your analysis of data over time. Finally, the book shows how to extend DAX to filter and calculate datasets and develop DAX table functions and variables to handle complex queries.What You Will LearnCreate clear and efficient data models that support in-depth analyticsDefine core attributes such as data types and standardized formatting consistently throughout a data modelDefine cross-filtering settings to enhance the data modelMake use of DAX to create calculated columns and custom tablesExtend your data model with custom calculations and reusable measures using DAXPerform time-based analysis using a Date dimension and Time Intelligence functionsWho This Book Is ForEveryone from the CEO to the Business Intelligence developer and from BI and Data architects and analysts to power users and IT managers can use this book to outshine the competition and create the data framework that they need and interactive dashboards using Power BI

This book provides all you need to find data from external sources and load and transform that data into Power BI where you can mine it for business insights and a competitive edge. This ranges from connecting to corporate databases such as Azure SQL and SQL Server to file-based data sources, and cloud- and web-based data sources. The book also explains the use of Direct Query and Live Connect to establish instant connections to databases and data warehouses and avoid loading data. The book provides detailed guidance on techniques for transforming inbound data into normalized data sets that are easy to query and analyze. This covers data cleansing, data modification, and standardization as well as merging source data into robust data structures that can feed into your data model. You will learn how to pivot and transpose data and extrapolate missing values as well as harness external programs such as R and Python into a Power Query data flow. You also will see how to handle errors in source data and extend basic data ingestion to create robust and parameterized data load and transformation processes. Everything in this book is aimed at helping you deliver compelling and interactive insight with remarkable ease using Power BI's built-in data load and transformation tools.What You Will LearnConnect Power BI to a range of external data sourcesPrepare data from external sources for easy analysis in Power BI Cleanse data from duplicates, outliers, and other bad valuesMake live connections from which to refresh data quickly and easilyApply advanced techniques to interpolate missing dataWho This Book Is ForAll Power BI users from beginners to super users. Any user of the world's leading dashboarding tool can leverage the techniques explained in this book to turbo-charge their data preparation skills and learn how a wide range of external data sources can be harnessed and loaded into Power BI to drive their analytics. No previous knowledge of working with data, databases, or external data sources is required-merely the need to find, transform, and load data into Power BI..

Produce high-quality, visually attractive analysis quickly and effectively with Microsoft's key BI tool. This book teaches analysts, managers, power users, and developers how to harness the power of Microsoft's self-service business intelligence flagship product to deliver compelling and interactive insight with remarkable ease. It then shows you the essential techniques needed to go from source data to dashboards that seize your audience's attention and provide them with clear and accurate information. As well as producing elegant and visually arresting output, you learn how to enhance the user experience through adding polished interactivity. This book shows you how to make interactive dashboards that allow you to guide users through the meaning of the data that they are exploring. Drill down features are also covered that allow you and your audience to dig deeper and uncover new insights by exploring anomalous and interesting data points.Reading this book builds your skills around creating meaningful and elegant dashboards using a range of compelling visuals. It shows you how to apply simple techniques to convert data into business insight. The book covers tablet and smartphone layouts for delivering business value in today's highly mobile world. You'll learn about formatting for effect to make your data tell its story, and you'll be a master at creating visually arresting output on multiple devices that grabs attention, builds influence, and drives change. What You Will LearnProduce designer output that will astound your bosses and peersMake new insights as you chop and tweak your data as never beforeCreate high-quality analyses in record timeCreate interdependent charts, maps, and tablesDeliver visually stunning informationDrill down through data to provide unique understandingsOutshine competing products and enhance existing skillsAdapt your dashboard delivery to mobile devicesWho This Book Is ForFor any Power BI user who wants to strengthen their ability to deliver compelling analytics via Microsoft's widely adopted analytics platform. For those new to Power BI who want to learn the full extent of what the platform is capable of. For power users such as BI analysts, data architects, IT managers, accountants, and C-suite members who want to drive change in their organizations.

Intermediate-Advanced user level

This book shows how to deliver eye-catching Business Intelligence with Microsoft Power BI Desktop. You can now take data from virtually any source and use it to produce stunning dashboards and compelling reports that will seize your audience's attention. Slice and dice the data with remarkable ease then add metrics and KPIs to project the insights that create your competitive advantage. Make raw data into clear, accurate, and interactive information with Microsoft's free self-service business intelligence tool.Pro Power BI Desktop will help you to push your BI delivery to the next level. You'll learn to create great-looking visualizations and let your audience have fun by interacting with the elegant and visually arresting output that you can now deliver. You can choose from a wide range of built-in and third-party visualization types so that your message is always enhanced. You'll be able to deliver those results on the PC, on tablets, on smartphones, as well as share results via the cloud. Finally, this book helps you save time by preparing the underlying data correctly without needing an IT department to prepare it for you. Power BI Desktop will let your analyses speak for themselves.Simple techniques to make data into insight.Polished interactive dashboards to deliver attention-grabbing information.Visually arresting output on multiple devices grab the reader's attention.What You Will LearnProduce designer output to astound your bosses and peers.Share business intelligence in the cloud Deliver visually stunning charts, maps, and tables.Make them interactive too!Find new insights as you chop and tweak your data as never before.Adapt delivery to mobile devices such as phones and tablets.AudiencePro Power BI Desktop is written for any user who is comfortable in Microsoft Office. Everyone from CEOs and Business Intelligence developers through to power users and IT managers can use this book to outshine the competition by producing 21st Century business intelligence visualizations and reporting on a variety of devices from a variety of data sources. All of this is possible through leveraging your existing skill set with the same, common Microsoft tools you already use in your daily work.

Take business intelligence delivery to a new level that is interactive, engaging, even fun, all while driving commercial success through sound decision making. Do this through the power of visualization using this updated edition covering new features and added support for visualization in Excel 2016, and describing the latest developments in Get & Transform and DAX. The example data set has also been updated to demonstrate all that Microsoft's self-service business intelligence suite is now capable of. High Impact Data Visualization in Excel with Power View, 3D Maps, Get & Transform and Power BI, 2nd Edition helps in harnessing the power of Microsoft's flagship, self-service business intelligence suite to deliver compelling and interactive insight with remarkable ease. Learn the essential techniques needed to enhance the look and feel of reports and dashboards so that you can seize your audience's attention and provide them with clear and accurate information. Also learn to integrate data from a variety of sources and create coherent data models displaying clear metrics and attributes. Power View is Microsoft's ground-breaking tool for ad-hoc data visualization and analysis. It's designed to produce elegant and visually arresting output. It's also built to enhance user experience through polished interactivity. Power Map is a similarly powerful mechanism for analyzing data across geographic and political units. Get & Transform lets you load, shape and streamline data from multiple sources. Power Pivot can extend and develop data into a dynamic model. Power BI allows you to share your findings with colleagues, and present your insights to clients.  High Impact Data Visualization in Excel with Power View, 3D Maps, Get & Transform and Power BI, 2nd Edition helps you master this suite of powerful tools from Microsoft. You'll learn to identify data sources, and to save time by preparing your underlying data correctly. You'll also learn to deliver your powerful visualizations and analyses through the cloud to PCs, tablets and smartphones.Simple techniques take raw data and convert it into information.Slicing and dicing metrics delivers interactive insight.Visually arresting output grabs and focuses attention on key indicators.What You Will LearnProduce designer output that will astound your bosses and peers.Drive business intelligence from Excel using BI in the Cloud.Gather source data from corporate and public sources.Integrate charts, maps, and tables to deliver visually stunning information.Discover new insights as you chop and tweak your data as never before.Adapt delivery to mobile devices.Outshine competing products and enhance existing skills.Who This Book Is ForAny Power BI Desktop, Excel or SharePoint user. Business Intelligence developers, power users, IT managers, finance experts, and more can use this book to outshine the competition by producing high-impact business intelligence reporting on a variety of devices from a variety of sources.

SQL Server 2012 Data Integration Recipes provides focused and practical solutions to real world problems of data integration. Need to import data into SQL Server from an outside source? Need to export data and send it to another system? SQL Server 2012 Data Integration Recipes has your back. You''ll find solutions for importing from Microsoft Office data stores such as Excel and Access, from text files such as CSV files, from XML, from other database brands such as Oracle and MySQL, and even from other SQL Server databases. You''ll learn techniques for managing metadata, transforming data to meet the needs of the target system, handling exceptions and errors, and much more.What DBA or developer isn''t faced with the need to move data back and forth? Author Adam Aspin brings 10 years of extensive ETL experience involving SQL Server, and especially satellite products such as Data Transformation Services and SQL Server Integration Services. Extensive coverage is given to Integration Services, Microsoft''s flagship tool for data integration in SQL Server environments. Coverage is also given to the broader range of tools such as OPENDATASOURCE, linked servers, OPENROWSET, Migration Assistant for Access, BCP Import, and BULK INSERT just to name a few. If you''re looking for a resource to cover data integration and ETL across the gamut of Microsoft''s SQL Server toolset, SQL Server 2012 Data Integration Recipes is the one book that will meet your needs.Provides practical and proven solutions towards creating resilient ETL environments Clearly answers the tough questions which professionals ask Goes beyond the tools to a thorough discussion of the underlying techniques Covers the gamut of data integration, beyond just SSIS Includes example databases and files to allow readers to test the recipes