BI with Microsoft products

Introduction

Microsoft® SQL Server™ 2005 is a complete business intelligence (BI) platform that provides the features, tools, and functionality to build both classic and innovative kinds of analytical applications. This paper provides an introduction to the tools that you will use to build an analytical application, and highlights new functionality that makes it easier than ever to build and manage complex BI systems.

The SQL Server 2005 Business Intelligence toolset delivers end-to-end BI application integration,

Design:
Business Intelligence Development Studio is the first integrated development environment designed for the business intelligence system developer. Built on Visual Studio® 2005, the Business Intelligence Development Studio delivers a rich, integrated, professional development platform for BI system developers. Debugging, source control, and script and code development are available for all components of the BI application.


Integrate:
Integration Services has been rewritten to perform complex data integration, transformation, and synthesis at high speed for very large data volumes. The Business Intelligence Development Studio makes building and debugging packages positively fun. Integration Services, Analysis Services, and Reporting Services work together to present a seamless view of data from heterogeneous sources.


Store:
SQL Server 2005 blurs the lines between relational and multidimensional databases. You can store data in the relational database, in the multidimensional database, or use the new Proactive Cache feature to get the best of both worlds.


Analyze:
Data Mining in SQL Server has always been easy to use. Now it's even better with the addition of important new algorithms, including Association Rules, Time Series, Regression Trees, Sequence Clustering, Neural Nets, and Naïve Bayes. Important new analytical capabilities have been added to Analysis Services cubes as well: Key Performance Indicator framework, MDX scripts, and other built-in advanced business analytics. The Reporting Services report delivery and management framework enables easy distribution of complex analytics to the widest possible audience.


Report:
Reporting Services extends the Microsoft Business Intelligence platform to reach the business user who needs to consume the analysis. Reporting Services is an enterprise managed reporting environment, embedded and managed using web services. Reports can be personalized and delivered in a variety of formats and with a range of interactivity and printing options. Complex analyses can reach a broad audience through the distribution of reports as a data source for downstream business intelligence. New in SQL Server 2005 is Report Builder. Report Builder provides for self service ad hoc reporting by the end user. Ad hoc query and analysis tools from Microsoft and their partners will continue to be a popular choice for accessing data in Analysis Services and relational databases.


Manage:
The SQL Server Management Studio integrates the management of all SQL Server 2005 components. Through Management Studio, BI platform components gain enhanced scalability, reliability, availability, and programmability. These enhancements provide significant benefits to the business intelligence practitioner.