The value of durable keys in type-2 dimensions

We're all familiar with surrogate keys in dimensions, but have you ever used (or considered using) a durable key in the design of your type-2 dimensions?

In this session we'll look at what durable keys are, and how it can be implemented to improve query and load performance.

Advanced Power BI Modeling Techniques

Creating a Power BI data model is pretty easy, but sometimes we have to deal with more complex scenarios the require us to dig a little deeper.

In this session we'll take your modeling skills to the next level as we explore a few advanced techniques that deal with displaying measures or KPIs in the rows of a table (as opposed to the columns), dynamic currency conversions and an alternate approach to role-playing dimensions

Working with OAuth 2.0 APIs in Azure Data Factory

Working with APIs can be tricky, and even more so when it's an OAuth 2.0 API. Add to that an ETL platform and automation, and you now have a perfect storm that's pretty difficult to navigate.

This session is about my journey with OAuth 2.0 APIs while trying to extract my own financial data, how I struggled with the authorization flow and how it finally started making sense.

We'll talk about what an OAuth 2.0 API is, and why they are so difficult to deal with when your tool of choice is an automated ETL platform. After that we'll take a closer look at the steps to develop an ADF pipeline that extracts data from an OAuth 2.0 API, and review some tools that can help you throughout the development process.

Power BI Development Best Practices

Are you a developer or analyst, creating Power BI reports that will be shared across teams or even your entire organization? Moving from "quick and dirty" deployments to production ready solutions intended for larger audiences means that you should already be thinking about performance, standardization and (most importantly) your end users.

In this session we will take a closer look at the considerations and best practices when developing Power BI models, reports and dashboards to help you bridge the gap and make your solutions enterprise ready.

Some of the topics we will cover: Power BI Desktop Configuration; Connection Reuse; Entity/Table Design; Cross Filters; Date Entities; Aggregates & Measures.

The 10 commandments of ETL

ETL (Extract, Transform & Load) processes are fundamentally important in any data warehouse environment, and there are many different ways in which to develop the components.

In this session I will share the 10 basic principles I follow when developing ETL processes, and also show how the different choices can affect performance. Following these simple guidelines have resulted in many successful projects and happy customers. I'm sure it will work for you too!!

Deep Dive: Power BI Development Good Practices

Are you a developer or analyst, creating Power BI reports that will be shared across teams or even your entire organization? Moving from "quick and dirty" deployments to production ready solutions intended for larger audiences means that you should already be thinking about performance, standardization and (most importantly) your end users.

In this all-day session we will take a deep dive and look at everything you need to know in order to build enterprise-ready solutions.

Some of the topics we will cover in detail: Power BI Desktop Configuration; Query Organization; Query Folding; Entity/Table Design; Date Entities; Aggregates & Measures; Relationships & Cross Filter Direction.

In order to get the most out of this session, you should have some experience with Power BI and know how to use Power BI Desktop.

Building a framework for orchestration in Azure Data Factory

Finding the balance between cost, efficiency and performance for cloud-based ETL processes can be a tricky proposition, and a good ETL framework will help you get there.

In this session we will look at what the components of such a framework may look like in Azure Data Factory, and why orchestration can be a good option if you're trying to minimize cost. We will also walk through an actual framework I've developed and use today, which you can use as a starting point for your own efforts.

If you are currently using Azure Data Factory and feel like you're recreating the wheel all the time, or if you're planning to move from SSIS to ADF in the future and would like some ideas on how to create an ETL framework, this will be the perfect session for you.

To benefit the most from this session, a basic familiarity of Azure Data Factory (ADF) and/or SQL Server Integration Services (SSIS) will be helpful.

Deep Dive: Building a framework for orchestration in Azure Data Factory

Finding the balance between cost, efficiency and performance for cloud-based ETL processes can be a tricky proposition, and a good ETL framework will help you get there.

In this all-day session we will take a deep dive into what the components of such a framework may look like in Azure Data Factory, and why orchestration can be a good option if you're trying to minimize cost. We will also do an in-depth review of an actual framework I've developed and use today, which you can use as a starting point for your own efforts.

If you are currently using Azure Data Factory and feel like you're recreating the wheel all the time, or if you're planning to move from SSIS to ADF in the future and would like some ideas on how to create an ETL framework, this will be the perfect training day for you.

To benefit the most from this training day, a basic familiarity of Azure Data Factory (ADF) and/or SQL Server Integration Services (SSIS) will be helpful.