Visual Studio 2012/SSDT Addition for BI Project Version Compatibility & Themes

We can now use Visual Studio 2012 to create and edit SQL Server BI projects!  Woo Hoo.

In the past, if you wanted to develop and maintain BI projects in the same development environment as other Visual Studio projects, you had to install multiple versions of Visual Studio.  This may no longer be necessary if you install the new Business Intelligence for Visual Studio 2012 (SSDT BI). 

Power View Now Works with Cubes!

This is a very significant day in the progression of the Microsoft Business Intelligence platform.  Earlier this year, Power View was released with SQL Server 2012; a remarkable step forward in data visualization. It wasn’t all bad news that Power View only worked with the new tabular semantic models and PowerPivot worksheets published in SharePoint but it did limit our options.  We’ve quietly lived with the fact that this great new reporting tool couldn’t be used with Microsoft’s flagship analytical data (OLAP) engine without building new semantic models.  Well, now it does, and that’s very good news.

BI Sessions and Report Dashboard Demos at the PASS Global Summit

Literally, minutes after I began posting my running notes from the keynote presentations and the first session I attended, I received a request to fill a last minute opening on the schedule and prepare a second session.  I’m working on preparing a new version of “Visual Report Design – Bringing Sexy Back”.  I will be presenting that session tomorrow. 

SQL Server BI & SharePoint eBooks, Guides and Resources

There are many free eBooks & resources available from Microsoft and members of the MVP community.  This is a collection of several very useful free publications:

Power View Infrastructure Configuration and Installation
Link

Introducing Microsoft SQL Server 2012
PDF | EPUB | MOBI

Introducing Microsoft SQL Server 2008 R2
PDF | XPS

The Many-to-Many Revolution
Link

SQLBI Methodology
Link

 

Configure Kerberos Authentication for SharePoint 2010 Products
DOCX | PDF | EPUB | MOBI

Business continuity management for SharePoint Server 2010
PDF | EPUB | MOBI

Deployment guide for SharePoint Server 2010
PDF | EPUB | MOBI

Get started with SharePoint Server 2010
PDF | EPUB | MOBI

Governance guide for Microsoft SharePoint Server 2010
PDF | EPUB | MOBI

Profile synchronization guide for SharePoint Server 2010
PDF | EPUB | MOBI

Remote BLOB storage for Microsoft SharePoint Server 2010
PDF | EPUB | MOBI

Technical reference for Microsoft SharePoint Server 2010
PDF | EPUB | MOBI

Upgrading to SharePoint Server 2010
PDF | EPUB | MOBI

Getting Started with SharePoint Server 2010
PDF | DOC | XPS | EPUB | MOBI

Planning guide for sites and solutions for Microsoft SharePoint Server 2010, Part 1
PDF | DOC | XPS

Planning guide for sites and solutions for Microsoft SharePoint Server 2010, Part 2
PDF | DOC | XPS

Planning guide for server farms and environments for Microsoft SharePoint Server 2010
PDF | XPS | DOC

Capacity planning for Microsoft SharePoint Server 2010
PDF | XPS | DOC

Most of these resources and many others can be found on Eric Ligman’s blog

SQL Server 2012 Upgrade Technical Guide is available

The SQL Server 2012 upgrade white paper is now available from Microsoft.  I’m proud to have made a contribution and to work with these industry leaders.  This extensive 454 page guide was published and edited by Microsoft and written by mentors from SolidQ.  It is a valuable reference for administrators, developers and business intelligence professionals planning to upgrade solutions to the latest version of SQL Server.

Thanks and congratulations to the SolidQ authors:
Ron Talmage, Nigel Sammy , Allan Hirt, Herbert Albert, Antonio Soto, Danilo Dominici, Régis Baccaro, Milos Radivojevic, Jesús Gil, Dejan Sarka, Johan Åhlén, Simran Jindal, Paul Turley, Craig Utley, Larry Barnes, Pablo Ahumada

Download the SQL Server 2012 Upgrade Technical Guide

Content:

• Upgrade Planning and Deployment
• Management Tools
• Relational Databases
• High Availability
• Database Security
• Full-Text Search
• Service Broker
• SQL Server Express
• Database Development Tools
• Transact-SQL Queries
• Spatial Data
• XML and XQuery
• CLR
• SMO
• BI Tools
• Analysis Services
• Integration Services
• Reporting Services
• Data Mining
• Other Microsoft Applications and Platforms

Presentation: Visual Report Design

My presentation from SQL Saturday #94 in Salt Lake, TechEd 2011 in Atlanta and 24 Hours of PASS.  The spotlight session at PASS will be an expanded version of this.

View video recording

Running time is about 60 minutes

PDF copy of PASS Summit Presentation (please use only with credit)

Come to SQL Saturday 92 in Portland

Are you In Portland, Oregon?

Do you plan to be in Portland on Saturday, October 8th?

Can you be in Portland on October 8th?

…then go to the Oregon SQL Saturday #92. Register right now. Yes, now!

We have dozens of great speakers coming from all over the world.  It’s a terrific community networking opportunity, a career builder and an awesome learning experience.

Dad always said “there’s no free lunch” but he was wrong.  Lunch is provided and it’s free!  The conference is free!  What more could you possibly want?

If you have anything at all to do with SQL Server and you don’t make it to SQL Saturday #92 in Portland on October 8th, you will beat yourself over the head with a two-by-four after you find out what you missed.

SQL Saturday – Salt Lake and Portland

I will be speaking at two SQL Saturday events on the topics of visual report design with SQL Server Reporting Services and BI Semantic data options for analysis with the Microsoft BI platform.  In these presentations, I will demonstrate advanced report design techniques with the current version of Reporting Services and new features coming in SQL Server “Denali”, namely the new BI Tabular Model & the Project “Crescent” reporting experience.  Watch for a streaming video copy of this presentation in the next couple of weeks.  Stay tuned.

If you will be in the Salt Lake City area on Saturday, September 10th, please plan to attend SQL Saturday 94, Tweet: #sqlsat94.

The Oregon SQL user group is sponsoring SQL Saturday 92 in Portland on Saturday, October 8th.  This is sure to be well-attended with several excellent industry professionals presenting.  Tweet: #sqlsat92.

Please register as soon as possible.