Monday, June 18, 2007

Which SQL Server 2005 Analysis Services Book Should I Get?

Who can recommend a good SQL Server 2005 Analysis Services book?

I know SQL Server 2000 Analysis Services but did not work with SQL Server 2005 Analysis Services yet. As a matter of fact I haven’t touched Analysis Services in 2 years. I don’t need a book which explains what a start or join schema is, I know what a slowly changing dimension is, I also know the difference between a fact table, a dimension table and MOLAP/ROLAP/HOLAP.

The 2 books that I used previously are the WROX book (Professional SQL Server 2000 Data Warehousing with Analysis Services) and the MS Press Step by Step book. I remember liking both of them, are their successors as good?
The problem with the reviews on Amazon is that it doesn’t match my expectations; the WROX 2000 book only got 2.5 stars which I think is way too low. While the book is not perfect it deserves more than 2.5 stars.


Here are the 5 books I am considering

Microsoft SQL Server(TM) 2005 Analysis Services Step by Step

Delivering Business Intelligence with Microsoft SQL Server 2005

Professional SQL Server Analysis Services 2005 with MDX

Microsoft SQL Server 2005 Analysis Services

The Microsoft Data Warehouse Toolkit: With SQL Server 2005 and the Microsoft Business Intelligence Toolset



BTW I don’t need the book right now, I won’t actually start working with this until next year. If you know of a book that is coming out between now and January please let me know also.

3 comments:

Marcel said...

Hi, I've got the SSAS 2005 Step by Step and the MS Data Warehouse Toolkit. Both are good, Step by step being short, to the point, 90% of features and the Toolkit being high level overview of SSAS/SQL/DW project management. Have picked up a few Wrox Proffessional series books before and believe they offer better advanced material, but glad I started with the Step by step book.

Edward Bunt said...

I would recommend Applied MS Analysis Services by Teo Lachev. This is a great book that goes from the fundamentals to advanced topics with more emphasis on the latter. If you like screenshots, diagrams, and playing with code, you will surely benefit by this book.

Also, I would recommend the Sams Analysis Services book for more advanced topics, which I would assume you might ultimately need.

Anonymous said...

+1 for the Sams MSSAS book
and the "Analysis Services Step by Step" book

I'm neutral on MS DW toolkit book
it is a good reference for an end to end MS BI spolution using the kimball method; but doesn't really drill into the MSSAS nitty gritty.

I'd also recomend a book on MDX such as the MDX solutions (spofford 2nd edition)
or fast track to MDX ( 2nd edition)