Database Reference
In-Depth Information
Step 7: Test and Tune the Solution
Once you have built your first reports, you need to test those reports for accuracy, visual consistency, and
performance. The most important of the three is accuracy. If the reports are slow or do not look professional, it is
indeed cause for concern, but if your reports are inaccurate, your entire BI solution will fail! We cover a number
of ways to plan and implement testing procedures in Chapter 18. We also include important performance-tuning
techniques in Chapter 18 to insure your reports run quickly for your end users.
Step 8: Approve, Release and Prepare
At the end of the solution development cycle, you need to package and deploy your documents, scripts,
databases, and reports. You also need to create user documentation, as well as train your users to use your newly
developed BI solution. hese topics are discussed in the last chapter of this topic, Chapter19.
Practice Exercises and More
Rather than just talking about all of these subjects, the chapters in this topic ofer detailed instructions on how to
perform your BI solution tasks with step-by-step practice exercises that build upon each other from one chapter
to the next. We created simple, easy-to-follow examples that outline key principles applicable to both large and
small BI solutions.
We also offer “Learn by Doing” activities at the end of each chapter. These activities provide an outline and
hints indicating which course of action to take, but they allow you a chance to practice your skills without such
detailed instructions. Table
1-1
describes the exercises within this topic.
Table 1-1.
Exercises in This Book
Exercise Type
Description
Instructions
Exercises
Detailed, progressive, step-by-step
instructions that correspond with the
subject matter within each chapter. A
complete and functioning BI solution is
created by the end of this topic.
Detailed instructions are included within
each chapter.
Learn by Doing
A simple outline of the steps required
to implement a BI task that corresponds
to the subject of each chapter.
Outlined instructions are within folders
included in the downloadable book content.
See this topic's catalog page at
www.apress.
You are given the opportunity to accomplish multiple BI tasks by the end of each chapter. The goal is to help
you master the steps involved in building your own real-world BI solutions.
Downloadable Content
All example projects, exercises, and scripts have been organized into folders by chapter and compressed into zip
files. This downloadable content includes all of the BI solution files and information pertaining to the locations of
the original databases to make these files work.
You may at times need a hint on how to complete a task. Not to worry, help is available in the form of
completed and commented solutions to each standard exercise and “Learn by Doing” exercise.
