Chapter 11. Understanding SSAS

Now that you've loaded your data warehouse, you may find that with all that great data, your report backlog is starting to grow. Most organizations that we ask have a report backlog of 50 or more reports and a report writer who is constantly battling to catch up. SQL Server Analysis Services (SSAS) to the rescue! SSAS allows your users to create complex ad hoc reports without having to involve IT.

SSAS is another service that you've already licensed if you've purchased SQL Server, one that can pre-aggregate data and make it easier for your users to query data via familiar interfaces like Excel or Reporting Services. SSAS has two major functions: a high-performance cubing technology and a data-mining technology. We focus on the cubing technology until Lesson 19, when you'll get your hands dirty in data mining.