This is my first book review in this year, though it is a good
experience in writing my first book on SQL Server technologies and here it
goes:
Book Title:
Microsoft SQL Server 2008 R2 Master Data
Services
Publishers: Packt Publishers
Master Data Services (MDS) is one of the new features that are
introduced in SQL Server 2008 R2 version, and Master Data Management (MDM)
concept which is also one of the new learning for me when I started working on
data platform related projects.
Whenever you start reading a technical content book the first task
is to check the table of contents and check what you will learn from the book.
SQL Server 2008 R2 Master Data Services book suited for the users,
professionals, business and systems analyst or DBA who wants to manage and
maintain your business master data and improves data quality. This book is a
comprehensive guide to MDS to facilitate end-to-end approach showing how to
implement MDM on your data platform. The pragmatic approach and explanation from
the authors emphasises the need of MDM which is an ideal methodology for
analysts and developers.
The book helps the professionals who are looking to understand the
MDM concepts to develop the Master Data Services feature. Not only have the
technical aspects around MDS, the book covered business rules and workflows that
can be created within MDS that are dependent on various conditions that can help
to make a flexible MDS solution on your data
platform.
The chapters are lined up systematically that introduces the need
of Master Data Management (MDM) with a good example on Analytical MDM and
Operational MDM. As a DBA & Data Architect there are certain chapters that I
recommend, second chapter that overviews MDS architecture, sixth chapter
importing data into MDS which highlights process and population of data, eighth
chapter extracting data from MDS in delivering master data and ninth chapter
that overviews application programming interface. No matter the level of knowledge that you may
have about Master Data Management, this book delves into the concepts,
development and implementation of Master-Data solution in your organisation
using Microsoft SQL Server technologies.
The authors are experienced professionals from Adatis, a UK based
specializing in Microsoft Business Intelligence stack. The write up in the book
shades author’s experience, Jeremy Kashel, an experienced Business Intelligence
professional has written majority of the chapters. Also Tim Kent, a QA
specialist and Martyn Bullerwell, a project delivery specialist has co-authored
this book.
Finally if you are looking for practical ways to learning about
Master Data Management concepts and SQL Server Master Data Services then this
book is a good resource for you. Also the experienced users this is a good
resource for your book shelf for quick reference in delivering Business
Intelligence based Master Data Services solutions.
To obtain the paperback and eBook version review and purchase
from Packt_Publishers
for other great resource of books on SQL Server technologies, also from Amazon
(US & UK) websites.
