Getting Started with the SSAS Tabular Model

hen Microsoft released SQL Server 2012, they introduced the SQL Server Analysis Services (SSAS) tabular model, an in-memory database that uses the xVelocity analytics engine and state-of-the-art compression algorithms. You can think of the tabular model as a cross between a SQL Server relational database and an SSAS multidimensional cube. Like a database, the tabular model supports tables and their relationships. Like a cube, the model also supports measures and key performance indicators (KPIs). Together these elements create a database that is fast and efficient and can deliver self-service business intelligence (BI) to a variety of applications, including Excel, PowerPivot, Power View and SQL Server Reporting Services (SSRS).