Microsoft Power BI: Redmond’s BI Stack Goes
Mobile and Cloud
Andrew BrustCEO and FounderBlue Badge Insights
@andrewbrust
• CEO and Founder, Blue Badge Insights• Microsoft Regional Director, MVP• Co-chair VSLive! and 18 years as a speaker• Founder, Microsoft Business Intelligence +
Big Data User Group of NYC (MSBIgDataNYC)– http://www.msbigdatanyc.com
• Co-moderator, NYC .NET Developers Group http://www.nycdotnetdev.com
• “Redmond Review” columnist for Visual Studio Magazine and Redmond Developer News
• brustblog.com, Twitter: @andrewbrust
Meet Andrew
Read All About It!
History of Data in Spreadsheets
(Image: Wikimedia)
Spreadsheet Genesis
VisiCalc
Lotus 1-2-3
MultiPlan
Excel
Excel Analytics Facilities
• Tables, PivotTables and charts• The Data tab“Traditional”• Data Bars, conditional formatting• CUBExxx formulas• Excel Services on SharePoint2007• Power Pivot• Sparklines2010• Power View (SharePoint only)• Works with Excel 2010 Power Pivot models
(SQL Server) 2012
• Slicers, Timeline• Excel Data Model• Power View in Excel2013• Power Query• Power MapBeta
Power BI’s Ingredients
Core Excel
Power Pivot
Power View
Power Query
Power MapSharePoint/Tablet
Apps
Excel Data Analysis Workflow
• Data Connection Wizard
• Power Pivot window• Power Query
Acquire
• Worksheet• Power Pivot
window• Power Query
Shape/Model
• PivotTables• PivotCharts• Power View• Power Map
Visualize
• Excel Services
• Excel Web App
• Power BI tablet apps
Publish
External Data
Web (HTML tables) File-based
Access, Text, XML Data Connection Wizard
SQL Server, Analysis Services Azure Marketplace, OData feeds ODBC DSNs (Data Source Names) Any OLE DB provider (including provider for ODBC)
MS Query (ODBC only; for backward-compatibility) Can also get to ODBC data via OLE DB (using OLE DB provider
for ODBC)
Data Options
Table PivotTable
PivotChart
Power View
Also: Add connection Add to model
What is the Excel Data Model?
It’s a Power Pivot data model that is built implicitly Way to have data in your workbook that isn’t in your
worksheets Read-only Compatible with Power View When workbook uploaded to SharePoint, compatible
with Analysis Services clients (if Power Pivot for SharePoint installed)
Architecture Columnar storage In-memory query engine
xVelocity in-memory Analytics Engine, f.k.a. VertiPaq Data highly compressed Queries are very fast
Adding Data to the Model
Data Connection Wizard and Data Model
By default, data goes into worksheets and not into Data Model, but:
Importing multiple tables adds them to the model Importing a single table gives you the option of adding to the
model Using multiple tables in a PivotTable or PivotChart puts them in
the model Visualizing a table in Power View adds it to the model
This is a Power View requirement You can manually add a table to the model using the
“Add to Data Model” button in the PowerPivot tab Power Pivot add-in required; not available in all editions of
Excel 2013 Gets added as a linked table, so updates in the workbook
replicate automatically Won’t be linked to original data source
Once data is in model, you can delete it from worksheet/book
Column-Oriented Stores• Imagine, instead of:
• You have:
• Perf: values you wish to aggregate are adjacent• Efficiency: great compression from identical or nearly-
identical values in proximity• Fast aggregation and high compression means huge
volumes of data can be stored and processed, in RAM
Employee ID Age Income
1 43 90000
2 38 100000
3 35 100000
Employee ID 1 2 3Age 43 38 35
Income 90000 100000 100000
Power Pivot Advantages (over Excel Data Model)
• Versus implicit Excel Data ModelExplicit data modeling
• Tools and features are symmetric• Upsizing permitted
Really a desktop version of SQL Server
Analysis Services
• Sharing, server-based engine, automated data-refresh
Has a SharePoint counterpart
• Makes your data more end-user-friendly
Full access to the BI Semantic Model
• Doesn’t use workbook connectionsAcquires data directly
How Do You Get Power Pivot?
For Excel 2010: Download the add-in from www.powerpivot.com Get 32-bit or 64-bit version, depending on your version of
Office (not Windows) Run the installer
For Excel 2013: Included in product, but only with:
Office Pro Plus retail product (under volume licensing) Office 365 Pro Plus or Enterprise E3/E4 subscriptions
It’s still an add-in, installed but not activated by default Same goes for Excel version of Power View
Excel Data Model and Power Pivot
DEMO
Power View Overview
Data exploration and visualization client Beautiful to look at Animations add to user-friendliness Visualizations work as filters, too Design and view experiences are unified Has SharePoint counterpart
With interesting PowerPoint export
Power View Data Sources
Power View for Excel originally works only against BISM
Support for SSAS Multidimensional cubes added in SharePoint version
As of 5/31/2013, SharePoint version of Power View supports Multidimensional mode as part of SQL Server 2012 SP1 CU4 (and now CU5)
http://blogs.msdn.com/b/sqlrsteamblog/archive/2013/05/31/power-view-for-multidimensional-models-released.aspx
Gist is this: Power View emits DAX expressions Power Pivot and SSAS Tabular support DAX SSAS Multidimensional supports DAX as of SQL Server 2012
SP1 CU4
Create a Power View Report
In Excel 2013, click Power View button on Insert tab of ribbon
Make sure add-in is activated
Power View
DEMO
Power Query: Overview
Imports data from both conventional and novel data sources Brings the data into Excel worksheets and/or the Excel Data
Model Web page data import that is far superior to Excel’s built-in
facility Adds a lot of value to Power Pivot and Power View.
Provides access to additional data sources
Uses a sophisticated underlying query language which users can completely ignore, or use directly (or just observe)
Available for Excel 2010 or 2013. Data Model support only in 2013.
Product is in preview.
Power Query: Caveats
Sometimes augments, sometimes replaces the Data tab. This can get confusing.
There are now three places to get at data: Data Tab Power Pivot window Power Query
Excel Data Model Tie-Ins
Add Power Query result set to Excel Data Model from Task Pane
Can also be done from PowerPivot tab of ribbon Can optionally unload data from worksheet first Once data’s in the model data can be further
shaped/modeled Power Pivot uses the Power Query-based workbook
data source Data refreshable in-model, if Enable Download turned on
Power Query
DEMO
How Does it Work?
Each operation you perform generates a formula, that is applied in a named “step”
The formula can be shown or hidden Steps can be renamed, re-ordered and deleted Configuration of some steps can be edited Formulas:
Can be edited Are batched together in a script
Script: Can be edited (allowing addition of custom steps) Written from scratch Uses a language called “M”
Remember project “Oslo?”
Power Map: Overview
Mapping-based 3D data visualization tool Built on Bing Maps For Excel 2013 ProPlus only. Very flexible. Can work with latitude/longitude but
also with address info, even if partial. Allows recording of “tours,” made up of different
“scenes” Works with data in worksheets and Excel Data Model 3 chart types: column, bubble and heat map
Product is in preview.
Power Map: First steps
Install the add-in, then start Excel Make certain your workbook has a dataset Click to the Insert tab on the ribbon, then the Map
button In the fields list, select the columns containing your
geo data In the geography pane, configure the semantics of
your columns (only necessary if Power Map’s guesses are off)
Click Map It button at lower-right Observe geo-coding confidence level; make corrections
Configure chart…
Layers
Layers allow multiple charts to be overlaid on same physical map
Add and delete at will View in list Adjust properties
Name Display of zeros, negatives and nulls Chart type-specific adjustments
Column: height and thickness Bubble: size and thickness Heat map: Color scale and radius of influence All of which can have scale locked
Scenes and Tours
“Scenes” are essentially screen capture videos
During which you can zoom, rotate, flatten, add labels, change themes or change the map in most any way
Can be added, deleted, re-ordered Scene properties
Name, duration Transition:
Duration Effect Effect speed
A “tour” is your map and its sequence of scenes
“Play Tour” button will play back, in full screen view with extra elements hidden
From Excel you can open a specific tour
Power Map
DEMO
SharePoint/Power BI Tie-Ins
Excel ServicesPower PivotPower ViewWindows 8 App
Excel Services
Hosts cell ranges, PivotTables and PivotCharts Can provide task pane for parameter value input Fulfills drill-down, accommodates slicers and
timelines New in 2013
Field list available Fidelity of 3D charts Also works in Excel Web App in Office 365, as do Excel Power
View Reports
Power Pivot
SharePoint version of Power Pivot puts engine on server
That plus Excel Services provides the browser solution
Allows Data Model to be queried by any Analysis Services client
IT dashboard calls attention to popular workbooks
Power View
Silverlight Power View client available in Excel Web App, Excel Services for workbook-based reports
Can view, interact Cannot changed tables/columns
With Power BI, HTML 5-based viewer now available Less dynamic, no animations Better device compatibility
Windows 8 app too More in a moment
Power BI in SharePoint
DEMO
The New Apps Model
Works in Office, Office Web Apps, SharePoint Based on contained HTML/JavaScript Public, Enterprise app store options available JavaScript object model provides access to workbook Potential channel for movement of data into Excel
Data Model
Power BI Tablet App
For Windows 8 and Windows RT Native iPad app coming (I’ve seen it) Touch-optimized Combination of Excel Services viewer and Power
View client App available on the store Authenticate into your O365/Power BI account, then
browse Can also just enable sample reports
Power BI on Windows 8
DEMO
Review
Excel’s historical core analytics capabilities are powerful
Excel Data Model makes the story much more solid Power Pivot + Power View bring top-notch modeling,
performance, data discover and visualization Power Query adds access to newer, less structured
data sources Power Map adds very easy-to-use mapping
visualizations The tools work together
Power View uses the Excel Data Model Power Pivot’s modeling niceties are picked up by Power View Power Query feeds the Excel Data Model, Power Pivot and
Power View Power Map works with almost any data
References
Power BI Preview – sign up: http://
office.microsoft.com/en-us/excel/power-bi-FX104080667.aspx Office Professional Plus 60-day trial:
http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/evalcenter/jj192782.aspx Power Query:
http://www.microsoft.com/en-us/download/details.aspx?id=39379
Power Map: http://
www.microsoft.com/en-us/download/details.aspx?id=38395 SQL Server 2012 SP1 CU5:
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/2861107 Power BI team blog:
http://blogs.msdn.com/b/powerbi/