As SQL Server 2012 and PowerPivot v2 release is getting closer and closer, knowing DAX becomes more of a necessity than a just an option. Via Kasper de Jonge’s blog I had learned of a nice 30 minutes Introduction to DAX basics. You can download an example workbook and try your hand at creating a measure formula and adding up to adding filter context to your formula. The post also had a ling to the TechNet Wiki page for the DAX Resource Center which has loads of articles, downloads and videos, along with link to other blogs and sites with more resources.
So you have all the resources you need to start learning DAX – now make those 30 minutes to actually do it :)
I was in the BI User Group meeting today (and if you're in Israel, why didn't you come too?) and heard something quite exciting. The speaker was Yossi Elkayam from Microsoft Israel and what he mentioned twice was that the release date for SQL Server 2012 Denali is March 2012. He was saying that while stating next month's meeting will preview the new release scheduled for the month after that. He also mentioned that PowerPivot version 2 will be released in proximity to the release of SQL Server 2012 Denali. This was some really exciting news for me because I remember hearing in one of the BI User Group's meeting that the release is scheduled for the first quarter of 2012, but that was put as a hopeful date rather than a closed one.
So upon hearing that the release is planned for March 2012 my first thought was that it would probably be on March 8th. That's because I was planning on going on vacation then. Somehow it made perfect sense in my mind that Microsoft would release the new version of SQL Server while I'm away and unable to read all the news and blog about it! Seems I wasn't too far away from the truth…
Microsoft is organizing a very big online event to launch SQL Server 2012 on the 7th of March! Both Ted Kummert Corporate Vice President, Business Platform Division and Quentin Clark Corporate Vice President, Database Systems Group are going to give keynote speeches. And if they're going to be there, I suggest you enlist as well ;)
So hurry up, the clock is ticking on the release of SQL Server 2012 Denali and Power Pivot v2