SQL Server Analysis Services 2005/2008 articles,blogs,scripts,FAQs,tools,books

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As you probably all already know Microsoft released SQL Server 2008 Release Candidate 0 (RC0).  You can download RC0 from here. You can also download SQL Server 2008 Books Online Release Candidate (RC0) and Microsoft SQL Server 2008 Feature Pack RC0, June 2008.

Just today Microsoft also released another related download: Sample Databases for Microsoft SQL Server 2008 RC0. New sample set contains 8 BI related files that lets you install Adventure Works DW and Analysis Services databases:

• SQL2008.AdventureWorks_DW_BI_v2005.ia64.msi
• SQL2008.AdventureWorks_DW_BI_v2005.x64.msi
• SQL2008.AdventureWorks_DW_BI_v2005.x86.msi
• SQL2008.AdventureWorks_DW_BI_v2005.zip
• SQL2008.AdventureWorks_DW_BI_v2008.ia64.msi
• SQL2008.AdventureWorks_DW_BI_v2008.x64.msi
• SQL2008.AdventureWorks_DW_BI_v2008.x86.msi
• SQL2008.AdventureWorks_DW_BI_v2008.zip

As you can see, installation files are split by CPU type (x86, x64 and ia64) and also by related SQL Server version. Files with _v2008 suffix can only be used with SQL Server 2008 and demonstrates some of the new features. If you want to do manual file copy, you can use 2005 or 2008 version zip file.

I installed SQL2008.AdventureWorks_DW_BI_v2008.x86.msi file on my Virtual PC side by side with older SQL Server 2005 samples. That worked without any problems.

New Analysis Services solution was copied into the folder C:\Program Files\Microsoft SQL Server\100\Tools\Samples\AdventureWorks 2008 Analysis Services Project.

Backup of related Analysis Services SQL Database was copied into the folder: C:\Program Files\Microsoft SQL Server\100\Tools\Samples\AdventureWorks 2008 Data Warehouse. Backup file name: AdventureWorksDW2008.BAK.

After running installation I had to:

1. Restore SQL Server AdventureWorksDW2008 database from backup (again, file: “C:\Program Files\Microsoft SQL Server\100\Tools\Samples\AdventureWorks 2008 Data Warehouse\ AdventureWorksDW2008.BAK”).
2. Open Analysis Services solution from the folder C:\Program Files\Microsoft SQL Server\100\Tools\Samples\AdventureWorks 2008 Analysis Services Project\enterprise\Adventure Works.sln
3. In the project properties change name of the machine were to deploy Analysis Services database
4. Deploy solution.

By default new deployed Analysis Services database name is “Adventure Works DW 2008″. Because new SQL Server and Analysis Services databases contains “2008″ in the name, you can leave old 2005 databases without any problems.

I quickly reviewed new code, and I was able to find just a few changes:

• In the cube calculation scripts now many measures have Associated_Measure_Group and Display_Folder properties defined.
• There are few dynamic named sets defined in the code.
• I could not find any CREATE KPI statement examples.

So if you need sample database to test new SSAS 2008 features, make sure to download updated Adventure Works 2008 sample files.