Microsoft BI Stack

Here are the key components of the Microsoft BI Stack:

1. Power BI:

   • Power BI Desktop: A powerful desktop application for creating interactive reports and dashboards by connecting to various data sources.
   • Power BI Service: A cloud-based service for publishing, sharing, and collaborating on Power BI reports and dashboards.
   • Power BI Mobile: Mobile apps for accessing and interacting with Power BI content on smartphones and tablets.
   • Power BI Embedded: A service for developers to embed Power BI reports and dashboards into custom applications.

2. SQL Server Analysis Services (SSAS):

   • Tabular Mode: A mode within SSAS that enables the creation of tabular data models for in-memory analysis.
   • Multidimensional Mode: A mode within SSAS that supports multidimensional data models and OLAP (Online Analytical Processing) cubes.

3. SQL Server Reporting Services (SSRS):

   • SSRS is a reporting platform that allows the creation, management, and delivery of paginated reports. It supports various data sources and provides a wide range of reporting features.

4. SQL Server Integration Services (SSIS):

   • SSIS is an ETL (Extract, Transform, Load) tool used for data integration and transformation. It enables the extraction of data from various sources, transformation of data, and loading it into destination systems.

5. Azure Data Factory:

   • Azure Data Factory is a cloud-based data integration service that allows you to create, schedule, and manage data pipelines for moving and transforming data from various sources to destinations, including Azure services and on-premises systems.

6. Azure Synapse Analytics (formerly SQL Data Warehouse):

   • Azure Synapse Analytics is a cloud-based data warehousing service that offers both data warehousing and big data analytics capabilities. It allows you to analyze large volumes of data at scale.

7. Azure Analysis Services:

   • Azure Analysis Services is a cloud-based version of SQL Server Analysis Services. It provides scalable and fully managed analytical capabilities in the Azure cloud.

8. Azure Machine Learning:

   • Azure Machine Learning is a cloud-based service for building, training, and deploying machine learning models. While not exclusively a part of the BI stack, it can be integrated with BI tools to incorporate predictive analytics into reports and dashboards.

9. Azure Databricks:

   • Azure Databricks is a big data analytics and machine learning platform. It can be used for advanced analytics and data processing tasks, often in conjunction with other components of the BI stack.

10. Excel:

    • Excel remains a versatile tool for data analysis and visualization and can be integrated with other BI components.