In 2020, the world celebrated the brand new 12 months with many uncertainties. Properly, life is stuffed with uncertainties, however, this one was very completely different. The world was dealing with a brand new pandemic that by no means skilled earlier than. The primary COVID19 case in New Zealand was confirmed in February 2020. In March 2020 the complete nation went to lockdown for the primary time. The world was experiencing a large menace altering everybody’s lives. I used to be no completely different. Day by day was beginning with dangerous information. A relative handed away; a buddy obtained the virus; the purchasers put the tasks on maintain and so forth. Nothing was wanting regular anymore. You possibly can’t even go to get a correct haircut, as a result of everyone seems to be in lockdown. That is me attempting to smile after getting a selfmade haircut. I wager lots of you’ve accomplished the identical factor.

In the future, I checked my electronic mail and noticed a message from Packt Publishing. They needed to see if I’m curious about writing a e-book about Energy BI. That was a bit of fine information after a very long time. I at all times needed to jot down a e-book about Energy BI. Certainly, I tried for the primary time in 2016, however I couldn’t handle to get my geese in a row to understand the publishers’ consideration.

I used to be not unfamiliar with writing books; certainly, I wrote my first e-book again in 2006 about Multimedia Purposes in Persian. Considered one of my passions in life is listening to music. And CDs had been probably the most accessible music supply with high-quality sound. I recall I saved cash for some months, and I purchased a Discman to hearken to the music on the go. However CDs are moderately cumbersome, and you may not have lots of them in your pocket. So the following challenge was to avoid wasting much more cash to purchase an MP3 participant. However, changing Audio CDs to MP3 with out compromising loads on the sound high quality was an actual problem for many individuals. And, that was my motive to jot down my first e-book in Persian to share my little data with everybody. 

Whereas I used to be accustomed to writing books, my earlier expertise was fairly completely different as my e-book was in Persian, my first language. So writing a technical e-book in English could possibly be an actual problem. So, the e-mail from Packt Publishing could possibly be a game-changer in some ways. Now, I had an enormous challenge to take care of; as a substitute of enthusiastic about all of the unfavorable pandemic information. I made a decision to simply accept the problem and embraced the chance. In Could 2020, I formally began writing my e-book, Professional Knowledge Modeling with Energy BI. I had lengthy days with an excellent busy schedule for greater than a 12 months. I labored very arduous to handle my duties because the founding father of Knowledge Vizioner and sustain with the product improvement, dealing with my consultancy function, writing my e-book and on the identical time making an appropriate work-life stability. I labored between 12 to 16 hours a day, together with the weekends. However all of the arduous works paid off after my e-book was printed in June 2021.

What’s in This E-book for You?

Microsoft Energy BI is without doubt one of the hottest enterprise intelligence instruments obtainable in the marketplace that you should utilize in your native machine and the cloud. This e-book can be your information to understanding completely different elements of information modelling, so the main target of this e-book is to not educate you how you can write DAX expressions. For that matter, there are significantly better books on the market that I personally confer with on some events. The most effective ones for studying DAX, for my part, are:

• Phill Seamark’s books:
  • Starting DAX with Energy BI: The SQL Professional’s Information to Higher Enterprise Intelligence
  • Professional DAX with Energy BI: Enterprise Intelligence with PowerPivot and SQL Server Evaluation Providers Tabular
• Marco Russo and Alberto Ferrari’s e-book:
  • Definitive Information to DAX, The : Enterprise intelligence for Microsoft Energy BI, SQL Server Evaluation Providers, and Excel by Marco Russo and Alberto Ferrari

Whereas my e-book closely makes use of many Energy Question strategies, however once more, the principle focus isn’t on Energy Question. For studying Energy Question, I recommend studying the next e-book:

To make it clearer, my e-book discusses quite a lot of DAX and Energy Question, however, the main target of the e-book is to not resolve all modelling challenges solely with Energy Question or DAX. The main target right here is certainly on Energy Question, DAX and plenty of different elements of information modelling. For example, the e-book covers the stream of information in numerous layers of Energy BI Desktop; an idea that may look trivial to many readers, however in reality, it’s a essential idea that if we don’t perceive it nicely, we can’t create an excellent information mannequin. So, the e-book begins discussing some constructing blocks, then it covers many elements of superior information modelling. So, no matter your stage of information, the Professional Knowledge Modelling with Energy BI has one thing for you.

What this e-book covers

The next sections clarify what the e-book covers in numerous chapters.

Chapter 1, Introduction to Knowledge Modeling in Energy BI

This chapter briefly describes the completely different functionalities of Energy BI and why information modelling is essential. This chapter additionally reveals some essential notes to be thought-about round Energy BI licensing, which probably may have an effect on your information mannequin. This chapter introduces an iterative information modelling method, which ensures an agile Energy BI implementation.

Chapter 2, Knowledge Evaluation eXpressions and Knowledge Modeling

This chapter doesn’t focus on quite a lot of DAX as in elements 3 and 4 of this e-book DAX is closely used to unravel completely different information modelling challenges. Due to this fact, we’ll solely concentrate on the DAX functionalities which might be more durable to know and are very related to information modelling. This chapter begins with a fast introduction to DAX, then we soar straight to digital tables and time intelligence functionalities and their functions in real-world situations.

Chapter 3, Knowledge Preparation in Energy Question Editor

This chapter shortly explains the parts of Energy Question and their software. It expresses the emphasis of making question parameters and user-defined capabilities together with real-world use circumstances and situations to reveal how highly effective they’re in constructing far more versatile and maintainable fashions.

Chapter 4, Getting Knowledge from Numerous Sources

This chapter explains getting information from completely different information sources which might be extra generally utilized in Energy BI. Then, the significance of information supply certification is defined, which helps you set your expectations on the kind of information you’re going to take care of. That is particularly useful in estimating information modelling efforts. Completely different connection modes are additionally defined on this chapter.

Chapter 5, Frequent Knowledge Preparation Steps

Explains frequent information preparation steps together with real-world hands-on situations. A mixture of what you’ve discovered to date on this e-book with the steps to be mentioned on this chapter offers you a powerful basis to go on to the following chapters and construct your information fashions extra effectively. By studying these functionalities, you’ll be able to take care of quite a lot of completely different situations in implementing completely different information fashions.

Chapter 6, Star Schema Preparation in Energy Question Editor

Explains how you can put together your queries primarily based on the star schema information modelling method with real-life situations. The Energy Question M language can be closely used on this chapter, so you’ll discover ways to take care of real-world challenges alongside the way in which. As you’ve already discovered frequent information preparation steps within the earlier chapter, the vast majority of Energy Question situations defined on this chapter can be simpler to implement. You’ll additionally discover ways to construct dimension tables and reality tables, and how you can denormalize your queries when wanted.

Chapter 7, Knowledge Preparation Frequent Greatest Practices

Explains frequent greatest practices in information preparation. Following these practices will assist you to construct extra environment friendly information fashions which might be simpler to keep up and extra versatile to make adjustments to. Following these practices, it’s also possible to keep away from frequent errors, which might make your life a lot simpler.

Chapter 8, Knowledge Modeling Parts

Explains information modelling parts from a Energy BI perspective together with actual file examples. On this chapter, we closely use DAX when relevant so having a primary understanding of DAX is important. We even have a whole star schema mannequin in Energy BI. The idea of config tables is roofed, which unlocks quite a lot of prospects in dealing with extra advanced enterprise logic within the information mannequin. The chapter
ends with information modelling naming conventions.

Chapter 9, Star Shema and Knowledge Modeling Frequent Greatest Practices

This chapter explains frequent information modelling greatest practices that can assist you make higher choices whereas constructing your information mannequin to forestall dealing with some recognized points down the highway. For example, coping with information sort points in key columns which might be utilized in relationships is considerably time-consuming to establish, nevertheless it’s very straightforward to forestall. So, figuring out information modelling greatest practices helps you save quite a lot of upkeep time and consequently saves you cash.

Chapter 10, Superior Knowledge Modeling Methods

This chapter explains particular modelling strategies that resolve particular enterprise necessities. information modeller is one who’s at all times open to new challenges. You could face a number of the superior enterprise necessities mentioned on this chapter or it’s possible you’ll face one thing completely different however related. The message we need to ship on this chapter is to assume freely when coping with new enterprise challenges and attempt to be
revolutionary to get the very best outcomes.

Chapter 11, Row-Degree Safety

Explains how you can implement row-level safety (RLS) in a Energy BI information mannequin. Coping with RLS will be advanced and figuring out how you can take care of completely different conditions wants deep data on information modelling and filter propagation ideas. Our intention on this chapter is to switch that data to you so you’ll be able to design and implement high-performing and low-maintenance information fashions.

Chapter 12, Additional Choices and Options Out there for Knowledge Modeling

This chapter introduces information modelling choices similar to Slowly Altering Dimensions (SCD), Object-Degree Safety (OLS), dataflows, and composite fashions, providing you with broad publicity to all these subjects.

I Was Not Alone Alongside the Method

All this was not doable with out having the total help of my beautiful spouse, my associates and my household. I additionally wish to present my particular gratefulness to 2 wonderful professionals:

I additionally thank the next Microsoft MVPs who put their beneficial time to evaluate my e-book after publication and offered their suggestions:

Thanks everybody on your help.