Hands-On Procedure
Let’s get some hands-on practice with Usage-Based Optimization. To prepare, we will create a new Analysis Services database, based upon the existing Adventure Works DW sample database, to insulate the original sample database from modifications we will make. We will accomplish the creation of the “clone” database from within the SQL Server Management Studio, and then enable query logging to prepare for our work with the Usage-Based Optimization Wizard.
Preparation
Create a Clone Analysis Services Database in SQL Server Management Studio
We will begin our preparation within SQL Server Management Studio, where we will create a clone of the sample Adventure Works DW database, which can be installed by anyone installing MSSQL Server 2005 Analysis Services.
1. Click the Start button.
2. Select Microsoft SQL Server 2005 within the Program group of the menu.
3. Click SQL Server Management Studio, as shown in Illustration 1.
Illustration 1: Opening SQL Server Management Studio
The Connect to Server dialog appears.
4. Select Analysis Services in the Server type selector.
5. Type / select the server name / instance, if appropriate) into the Server name selector.
6. Supply authentication information, as required in your own environment.
The Connect to Server dialog appears, with the appropriate input for our local environments, similar to that depicted in Illustration 2.
Illustration 2: The Connect to Server Dialog, with Representative Settings
7. Click the Connect button to connect with the specified Analysis Services server.
The SQL Server Management Studio opens.
8. Within the Object Explorer (the leftmost pane of the Studio, by default), expand the server in which we are working, if necessary, by clicking the “+” sign to its immediate left.
9. Expand the Databases folder that appears underneath the expanded server.
10. Right-click the Adventure Works DW database.
11. Select Back Up… from the context menu that appears, as shown in Illustration 3.
Illustration 3: Right-click the Adventure Works DW Database – Select Back Up …
The Backup Database – Adventure Works DW dialog appears.
12. Replace the default name that appears in the Backup file box with the following:
MSBI Adventure Works DW.abf
13. Uncheck the Apply compression setting in the Options section.
14. Uncheck the Encrypt backup file setting that immediately follows.
The Backup Database – Adventure Works DW dialog appears, as depicted in Illustration 4.
Illustration 4: The Backup Database – Adventure Works DW Dialog Appears
15. Click OK to begin the backup.
The Backup Database – Adventure Works DW dialog grays, as the Executing symbol in the Progress pane (lower left corner of the dialog) becomes active. The process may run several minutes depending upon the resources available on the local PC. Once completed, the dialog closes, returning us to the Management Studio.
We will next restore the same backup under a different name, to create a copy of the existing sample database – a copy wherein we can make modifications without impairing the existing sample, which we may wish to use to complete tutorials included with MSSQL Server 2005 or elsewhere.
16. Within the Object Explorer, right-click the Databases folder underneath the Adventure Works DW database.
17. Select Restore… from the context menu that appears, as shown in Illustration 5.
Illustration 5: Right-click the Databases Folder – Select Restore …
The Restore Database dialog appears.
18. Click the Browse button to the right of the box (second from the top) labeled From backup file.
The Locate Database Files dialog appears.
19. Navigate to the following backup file (where we located it in our backup steps above):
MSBI Adventure Works DW.abf
20. Click the file within the Select the file window, to place the file name into the File name box, as depicted in Illustration 6.
Illustration 6: Locate Database Files Dialog with Our Input …
21. Click OK to accept the file path / name, and to close the Locate Database Files dialog.
We return to the Restore Database dialog, where we see the file we have selected appear in the From backup file box.
22. Type the following into the Restore database box immediately above the From backup file box:
MSBI Adventure Works DW
The Restore Database dialog, with our input, appears as shown in Illustration 7.
Illustration 7: The Completed Restore Database Dialog
23. Click OK to initiate the restoration.
The Restore Database dialog grays, as the Executing symbol in the Progress pane, once again, becomes active. The process runs, and, once completed, the dialog closes, returning us to the Management Studio. Here we see the new MSBI Adventure Works DW database appear in the Object Browser, as depicted in Illustration 8.
Illustration 8: The New Database Appears …
NOTE: If the new database does not appear immediately, right-click the Databases folder and select Refresh from the context menu that appears, as shown in Illustration 9.
Illustration 9: Refreshing as Required …
Having created the MSBI Adventure Works DWdatabase, we can now proceed with the practice portion of our session, and get some hands-on experience with the Usage-Based Optimization Wizard in Analysis Services 2005. In the next session, we will take an additional preparatory step: enabling the logging of query statistics, upon which the Wizard bases its optimization strategy.