Chapter 1: Analysis Services in SQL Server 2019
As you prepare to build your analytic models in SQL Server, you need to understand the basics about SQL Server Analysis Services (SSAS) including the purpose of the overall platform, with a basic understanding of the product. We will be exploring the origin of SSAS and its evolution into what we use today.
Upon completion of this chapter, you should understand where SSAS fits into the overall data analytics ecosystem. In this chapter, we're going to answer the following key questions about Analysis Services:
- What is SQL Server Analysis Services anyway?
- Why use SQL Server Analysis Services?
- What's new in SQL Server Analysis Services 2019?
- What are the tools used with SQL Server Analysis Services?
- One last thing – our sample data
In preparation for the rest of the book, the final section of the chapter discusses the tools we use. We will provide links and instructions for the installation procedures to prepare for the various examples and development used throughout the book. We will also walk through the restoration of the SQL Server database used to support our Analysis Services examples in later chapters.
