In this first, 45-minute module of our training course introducing Microsoft Business Intelligence technologies, we focus on Microsoft SQL Server 2012. The main objective of this video is to introduce the big picture of Microsoft’s data platform engine, released in 2012. This module discusses its 10 key BI innovations: BI Semantic Model (BISM), Analysis Services Tabular Mode, PowerPivot for SQL Server 2012, Power View, Self-Service Data Alerts, Big Data and Apache Hadoop integration, Columnstore Indexes (xVelocity for Data Warehousing), Spatial Data, Unstructured Data, and, briefly, Data Quality Services.

Through a number of slides, graphics, discussion, and one short demo showing Power View in PowerPoint, you will learn how to take advantage of the newest abilities of SQL Server in your own BI projects. If you would like to deepen your skills, make sure you also watch the remaining modules in this series, which focus on: the new release of PowerPivot for SQL Server 2012, Power View, and the BI Semantic Model and Analysis Services Tabular Mode, each of which present many more in-depth demos—46 demos in total.

A highlight of this video is the extensive introduction of the concepts of Big Data, through the principles and components of Apache Hadoop platform, which integrates with the Microsoft Application Platform in a number of ways. You will hear about those integration points in detail, helping you choose the most appropriate ones for your projects: ODBC or Hive connectors, using your existing logic for MapReduce tasks, integrating with Pig Latin, deploying Hadoop on Windows Azure and Windows Server, and manageability and security using Microsoft’s remaining server technologies, such as Active Directory.

To make your learning more interactive, you can jump to a chapter that interests you the most by using the chapter markers shown in the right-hand sidebar. Ideally, however, you would follow this module from start to finish, to build a good foundation for learning from the remaining modules in this course.

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