What would be the best way to learn SQL server 2005 BI

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What would be the best way to learn SQL server 2005 BI

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Pac123

Posted Friday, April 11, 2008 12:06 PM

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Hello,

I'm relatively new to SQL server 2005, SSIS, SSAS and SSRS. I'm trying to learn these tools and have looked at Microsoft BOL, free tutorials online, forums, wiley books etc .But i think i have reached a point wherein i would have to invest more to gain much more than what i have.

I have come across sites such as Learnitfirst.com wherein you can download all videos relating to a subject area for around 70$. It seems reasonable.

But would that be better or buying the following books

1]Building a Data Warehouse: With Examples in SQL Server Vincent Rainardi

2] sql server 2005 integration services, kirk haselden

They both seem to be practical hands on books, but the first one gives you a more complete overview of all the BI tools in sQL server.

OR just buy the videos? they dont have any for SSAS yet though?

Anyone use these books or any other good ones?

Thanks for your input

Post #483895

TheMCSE DBA

Posted Friday, April 11, 2008 7:51 PM

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I have found the best way to learn is to study and take the Microsoft exams. So far I have the MCSA, MCSE and MCDBA certifications. I will soon have the MCTS for SQL Server 2008 (maybe 2005 before that). You learn step by step how to do almost everything. In addition the SQL Server 2005 Bible is a good source of training.

Post #484022

Jeff Moden

Posted Saturday, April 12, 2008 2:03 PM

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Like practicing the piano, either you invest the time to get really good... or you don't. There are no shortcuts. For example, I recently answered a post where someone had shown a CTE... the person who was asking the question had never seen anything like...

:WITH somealias AS (SELECT yada-yada)...

The guy said he'd been working with Oracle for 12 years... 12 YEARS! ... and he'd never seen such a thing! Oracle has had CTE's (called "Sub-Query Refactoring" in Oracle help) for many years.

Wanna be just like him? Take shortcuts... wanna be smart in SQL? Practice.... answer questions on forums and try different peoples methods.

While I agree that studying for the MS exams will give you reason to practice, as a person who interviews DBA's for jobs, the certs mean nothing to me during the interview... if you don't know your stuff, and I'm not talking about the canned stuff you find in study guides, I'm not going to hire you. And, because I've worked with 2 Microsoft Certified DBA's that couldn't hit the floor with their hat, I've gotta tell you that, to me, certs on your resume don't help... I want to see a list of accomplishments. I want to see what you're going to bring to the company other than a dusty ol' certificate that might mean nothing so far as your skill goes.

Computers are an imagination limited tool and a limited imagination makes them limited tools. Expand your imagination... spend the time. Practice... alot! There are no shortcuts.

--Jeff Moden

"RBAR is pronounced "ree-bar" and is a "Modenism" for "Row-By-Agonizing-Row".

First step towards the paradigm shift of writing Set Based code:
Stop thinking about what you want to do to a row... think, instead, of what you want to do to a column."

For better, quicker answers on T-SQL questions, click on the following...
http://www.sqlservercentral.com/articles/Best+Practices/61537/

For better answers on performance questions, click on the following...
http://www.sqlservercentral.com/articles/SQLServerCentral/66909/

Post #484096

magasvs

Posted Saturday, April 12, 2008 2:19 PM

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There are Webcasts series that you can find on the Microsoft web site. This was the best way to learn for me.
http://www.microsoft.com/events/series/sqlserverbi.aspx?tab=webcasts

Post #484100

Pac123

Posted Saturday, April 12, 2008 7:47 PM

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Thanks for your feedback everyone..yes i definetly do not want to take shortcuts, but im sure you would all agree that the subject domain i am referring to is vast...

I am using SQL server to build a data warehouse, i would focus where i wanto build my knowledge base within this scope.

I know it could take time, years and practice to become very good in an area. One way would be to try and find solutions to problems that i face in innovative ways. However, i also find that as i progress i face different issues. For example When i first began, i did not may much attention to query performance and optimization, which i do now with great improvement in my work. I am thus able to focus on other issues.

But i would only be able to go so much without some sort of formalized guidelines and approach, there is a lot to learn in each subject so that is the primary reason i had asked, so i can get feedback from others more experienced than me.

I taken a lot of inefficient approaches in design and implementation , which may or may not have been avoided. There is room for all that but i also feel i need to accelerate my learning and have benchmarks along the way.

Do you read or reference one or two tech books evry other month?, do online training? answer posts online? etc etc..its those kinda questions i ask...to get direction...i definetly wanto be thorough in this area....!!

Post #484119

Jeff Moden

Posted Saturday, April 12, 2008 9:27 PM

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JD (4/12/2008)

Do you read or reference one or two tech books evry other month?, do online training? answer posts online? etc etc..its those kinda questions i ask...to get direction...i definetly wanto be thorough in this area....!!

Sounds like you're on the right track, overall. Answering posts and seeing how others answer posts has sure helped me... real handy to see how some folks do things in the real world and good examples are some of the best teachers of a method. Doing searches on what are "common problems" and some not so common problems help round things out. I've bought a handful of books on SQL Server over time... but a lot of that information is online.

Going to a seminar or user group meeting here and there helps introduce new things like SSIS and Reporting Services... makes a good introductory foundation for what to look for and how to get started quickly.

Getting a copy of SQL Server Developer's Edition and the Books Online that comes with it is also a great move... you can practice from the comfort of your own home.

--Jeff Moden

Post #484129

Pac123

Posted Tuesday, April 15, 2008 3:41 PM

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Thanks, it does look like most of the people here have learnt things themselves, i was trying to decide as to whether i should buy some more books for SSAS or probably just go for training or buy training videos...

Post #485323

steveb.

Posted Wednesday, April 16, 2008 3:22 AM

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Do you have experience in DW/BI on other platforms and want to learn SQL server tools?

or are you new to DW/BI all-together?

there are a lot of books out there on the subject depending on your experience it is probably better to get an understanding of DW fundamentals and design before getting into the technical details of the SQL tools.

Post #485494

Pac123

Posted Wednesday, April 16, 2008 11:15 AM

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I am pretty new in the sense that this is my first DW/BI project altogether.

I am using this methodology that i found during my initial reserach in this project.

1. Determine the reports that DW is supposed to support.
2. Identify data sources.
3. Extract data from their transactional sources.
4. Populate the staging area with the data extracted from transactional sources.
5. Build and populate a dimensional database.
6. Build Extraction Transformation and Loading (ETL) routines to populate the dimensional database regularly.
7. Build and populate Analysis Services cubes(SSAS).
8. Build reports and analytical views by:
o Using SSRS

The first stage (ETL) i managed using t-sql procedures (and using SSIS to a limited extent).

Although i was relatively new to SQL as well, i learnt it, since i have a background in programming.

But using SSAS and SSRS and building cubes would get more complicated, since i am new i was looking at how i should learn it...do training( if so where?) , buy training videos online? or just read books(which would be slow)...

Post #485840

steveb.

Posted Thursday, April 17, 2008 2:21 AM

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Any budding DW designer/builder should get a copy of
'The Data Warehouse Lifecycle Toolkit' by Ralph Kimball

this will give you a really good understanding of techniques and theories behined DW. I am currently reading the second edition after reading the first one many years ago.

As far as learning SQL sepecifics i found the Wrox Professional Series on SSIS, SSAS, and SSRS very useful. Having a background in programming will mean that you should come up to speed quickly with these. I learnt the Sql spefics from these books after coming from an Informatica/SQL/Oracle/Business Objects DW background

Post #486197

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