SQL Server 2012-BI Edition

I finally got to download the BI Edition of SQL Server 2012, this edition is new in SQL Server. The edition is focused on tapping the new features that have been added to the BI landscape. There were certain new features which i noticed in SQL Server 2012 BI edition. I choose to install the SQL Server DB engine,SSAS,SSRS and Integration Services. SSRS install has gone through a revision, there are new features added to SSRS sharepoint mode which is to facilitate the install and execution of Powerviewer. In SSAS the server can be configured in two modes 1. The regular multi dimensional and data mining mode. 2. The tabular mode, in this mode SSAS server would handle self service BI capabilities. Based on these two options, in case a business needs to handle both then i guess there would be two instances of SSAS one handling the regular MOLAP capability and the other Server would handle the self service piece. It is pretty evident that both the modes cannot coexsist on the same SSAS server. Integration Services and BIDS have gone thorugh a change in this edition. Int the programs under SQL Server 2012, one gets to see a new program called SQL Server Data Tools, this is the new name for BIDS. On launcching the SQL Server Data tools it opens a VS 2010 Shell and it can be customized for Business Intelligence Development. Once the VS 2010 shell has been customized and if you choose the option New Project and the project type is Integration Services Project, there are some elements which appear in the design page of SSIS package. In SSIS 2012 one of the main new features is the addition of Parameters which is available at the Project level and the Package Level. In the Solution Explorer one gets to see the Project Parameters like in the image show below. The project parameters is named Project.params.

In the main design page of the SSIS package one gets to the addition of an extra tab called Parameters.
The third tab (the one after Data flow tab is the Parameter tab) is the screen to add parameters.



Based on the initial looking around in SSIS 2012 parameters has a big role to play. As i continue to explore I will blog about the usefulness of Parameters in SSIS 2012.