Top Answers to MSBI Interview Questions

1. What is MSBI? What are the tools that MSBI comprises?

As per definition, MSBI or Microsoft Business Intelligence is a powerful suite of
tools that provide solutions for Business Intelligence and Data Mining queries.
MSBI empowers users to gain access to accurate and up-to-date information for
better decision-making in an organizational level. There are three tools that
constitute the bulk of MSBI:

SSIS SSAS SSRS

SQL Server Integration Services or SSIS is basically leveraged for integrating data
from multiple databases together. This tool can deal with huge amount of data and
is therefore used for large transactions. SQL Server Analysis Services or SSAS is
mostly used to analyze the performance of SQL Server when it comes to load
balancing, heavy data, and transactions, among other uses. This tool is mostly
related to the administration of SQL Server. SQL Server Reporting Services or
SSRS pertains to report generation. Being platform-independent, this tool can be
used across numerous applications and is therefore quite popular in market these
days.
2. How is SSIS related to SQL Server?
SQL Server Integration Services is a component of SQL Server in MSBI. This tool can
be used to perform numerous Data Migration and ETL operations.

This platform is used for integration and workflow applications. Known for its
quick and flexible OLTP and OLAP extensions for data extraction, transformation,
and loading (ETL), SSIS can also be used to automate the maintenance of SQL Server
databases and multidimensional datasets.

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3. What are the tools associated with SSIS?

SSIS tools support the simplest solutions, in which users perform tasks such as
copying data from one location to another, to the enterprise-level solutions, in
which users develop a large number of complex packages in a team environment.

Business Intelligence Development Studio (BIDS)

Design and create new packages and data source objects and views that the packages
use
Modify existing packages
Debug package functionality
Create the deployment bundle that you use to deploy packages
SQL Server Import and Export Wizard
This is the simplest way to create Integration Services packages. These packages
can extract data from a variety of data sources such as Excel spreadsheets, flat
files, and relational databases, and load the data into similar data stores.

SSIS Designer and SSIS Menu

SSIS Designer shows tabs for each designer and also the tab for the package
content. It is a graphical tool for developing packages.

When you open an Integration Services project in BIDS, the SSIS menu is added to
the menu bar. When you select the Work Offline option, Integration Services skips
the aspects of package validation that makes a connection to data sources and other
external components.

Control Flow Designer and Event Handlers Designer

The package control flow can be constructed using Control Flow Designer.

An Event Handler is a workflow that runs in response to an event that the run time
raises.
4. What is a workflow? What do you mean by control flow and data flow?
Workflow is basically a set of instructions which is specified to the Program
Executor as a guideline to execute tasks and containers.

A control flow mostly consists of one or more tasks and containers that execute
when a package is run. To define conditions for running tasks in the package
control flow, precedence constraints are used to connect the tasks and containers
in a package.

There are three control flow elements that SSIS provides:

Containers that provide structures in packages

Tasks that provide functionality
Precedence constraints that connect the executables in an ordered control flow
Data flow includes sources and destinations that extract and load data,
transformations that modify and extend data, and paths that link sources,
transformations, and destinations. The data flow task is executable within SSIS
packages that create, order, and run the data flow.

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5. Mention the errors in SSIS and explain how error-handling works.

There are three types of major errors in the SSIS landscape, precisely:

Data Connection Errors: This type of error occurs when connection manager cannot be
initialized with the connection string.
Data Transformation Errors: Data Transformation Errors occur while data is being
transformed over a Data Pipeline.
Expression Evaluation errors: This error type occurs if the run-time evaluated
expressions are invalid.
When column data is transformed, extracted from sources, or loaded into a
destination, errors occur.

Procedure Errors can be handled in control flow by the precedence control and by
redirecting the execution flow, and Data Errors are handled in the data flow task
by redirecting the data flow using the error output of a component.

6. Define environmental variables in SSIS.

The configuration of environmental variables sets package property equal to the
value in an environment variable. These are used to configure properties that are
dependent on computers that execute packages.

7. What are the different lookup cache modes available in SSIS?

They are, namely:

Full Cache Mode

Partial Cache Mode
No Cache Mode
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8. Explain the architecture of SSIS.

SSIS architecture involves four key parts:

Integration Services: It monitors running Integration Services packages and

accomplishes the storage of packages.

Integration Services object model: It contains a managed API for reading

Integration Services tools, command-line utilities, and custom applications.

Integration Services run time and run-time executables: It keeps the layout of
packages, runs packages, and provides support for logging, breakpoints,
configuration, connections, and transactions.

Data flow engine: It provides in-memory buffers that move data from source to
destination.

9. How can we do logging in SSIS?

SSIS includes logging features that not only write log entries when run-time events
occur but also write custom messages. Integration Services supports a diverse set
of log providers and empowers users with the ability to create custom log
providers. Integration Services log providers can write log entries to text files,
SQL Server Profiler, SQL Server, Windows Event Log, or XML files. Logging
configuration provides an inbuilt feature which can log the details of various
events like onError, onWarning, etc.

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10. How do you deploy SSIS Packages?

The SSIS Project, �BUILD� offers a Deployment Manifest file. Users are required to
run the manifest file and decide whether to deploy it onto File System or onto SQL
Server Microsoft Database. SQL Server Deployment is very fast and also is
relatively secure than File System Deployment. Alternatively, deployment can be
done from packages in SSMS from File System or SQL Server.

11. How can we organize SSIS packages on production?

There are three ways to do so:

Through Manifest:
Create deployment utility by setting its properties as true
It will be formed in the bin folder of the solution, once the package is built
Copy all the files in the utility and use manifest file to display it on the
product
Using DTExec.exe utility
Import the package directly in Microsoft Database from SQL Server Management Studio
(SSMS) by logging in Integration Services.
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12. Define query parameters in SSRS.

Query parameters are revealed in the query of data sources that are to be included
in the SQL script�s where clause for accepting parameters. Query parameters begin
with the symbol �@�.

13. What are variables? Define the variable scope.

Variables are used to store values that SSIS packages and their containers, tasks,
and event handlers leverage at the run time. Scripts can also use variables. Also,
precedence constraints that sequence tasks and containers into a workflow use
variables when constraint definitions include expressions. Integration Services
supports two types of variables: user-defined variables and system variables.

14. Define SSRS and also talk about SSRS architecture.

One of the server-based software systems, SSRS generates reports developed by
Microsoft. It is used for preparing and delivering a variety of interactive printed
reports and is administered through an interface that is web based. Reporting
services utilize a web service interface for supporting and developing customized
reporting applications.

Reporting services architecture comprises integrated components. This multi-tiered

architecture is scalable and modular. A single installation can be used across
multiple computers.

Various components are Report Manager, Reporting Designer, Browser Types supported
by reporting services, Report Server, Report Server Command line utilities, Report
Server Database, Reporting Services Extensibility, and Data Sources that are
supported by Reporting Services.

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15. Explain the Reporting life cycle.

The Reporting lifecycle includes several aspects.

Report designing: It is done in Visual Studio Report Designer. It generates a class

which embodies the report definition.

Report processing: This brings the report definition from the report data source.
It performs on all grouping, sorting, and filtering calculations.

Report rendering: It starts by passing the Report Instance to a specific rendering

extension which need to be in HTML or PDF formats. The expressions of items are
evaluated in the header and footer sections for every page. As a final step, the
report is rendered to the specific output document.

16. When shall we use null data driven subscription?

Users should first create a data-driven subscription that uses the Null Delivery
Provider. When the Null Delivery Provider is specified as the method of delivery in
the subscription, Report Server targets the Report Server Database as the delivery
destination and uses a specialized rendering extension called the null rendering
extension. Different from other delivery extensions, the Null Delivery Provider
does not have delivery settings that can be configured through a subscription.

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17. What do you mean by matrix in SSRS? What are sub-reports and how do we create
them?
A matrix is a data region which is related to a report set. Matrices permit us to
create crosstab reports with the report variables showing on rows and columns.

A sub-report is like any other reports which can be termed in the main report and
can be generated through the main report. Parameters can be conceded from the main
report to the sub-report, and on basis of that a report can be created.

18. Define Report Model Project.

Report model project is used for ad-hoc reporting. We can create ad-hoc reports
over Report Builder. Having a simple view, the report model project can be created
on BIDS or Report Server.

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19. What do you mean by Report Sever Project?

Report Server Project comprises RDL files and it needs to be deployed on Report
Server to view the report files for applications and users. It is a solution where
users can design reports. Once the solution is formed, users can start forming
reports.
20. Define RS.exe Utility.
RS.exe utility is used for organizing reports on Report Server. It comes with the
Report Server and can be modified accordingly.

21. What are the three different parts of RDL files?

In Visual Studio, RDL files have three parts:

Data that covers the dataset on which queries are written

Design which creates tables and matrix reports
Preview which is used to check the preview after a report is run
22. What are the different data sources that are used in SSRS?
Several data sources can be used in SSRS for ingesting data.

OLEDB
SQL Server SAP NetWeaver BI
Oracle
Report Server Model
SSAS OLEDB
ODBC
Hyperion
Teradata
XML
23. Differentiate between Tabular and Matrix Reports.
Tabular Report Matrix Report
Tabular report is the most basic type of reports.
A matrix report is a cross-tabulation of four groups of data.
Each column corresponds to a column selected from the database.
One group of data is displayed across the page.
Another group of data is displayed down the page.
The third group of data is the cross-product.
And the fourth group of data is displayed as the �filler� of the cells.
24. How to send SSRS Reports from SSIS?
In order to do this, users need to create a subscription to the report. This can be
done from Report Manager. The report format and the email address of the recipient
can be mentioned at Report Subscription. When a schedule is created for the SSRS
report, an SQL Server Agent Job will be created. From SSIS, using sp.start_job,
relevant job name can be passed and, henceforth, SSRS report subscription can be
executed.

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25. What is SSAS? List out its key features.

The middle tier server for analytical processing, OLAP, and Data mining, SSAS
manages multidimensional cubes of data and provides access to heaps of information
including aggregation of data. Analysis services provide a combined view of data
which is used in OLAP or Data mining.

Key features are:

Ease of use with a lot of wizards and designers

Flexible data model creation and management
Scalable architecture to handle OLAP
Provides integration of administration tools, data sources, security, caching,
reporting, etc.
Provides extensive support for custom applications
26. What is the significance of UDM in SSAS?
Unified Dimensional Model (UDM) acts as a bridge between users and data sources.
Benefits of UDM in SSAS:

Enriches the user model

Provides high-performance queries supporting interactive analysis
Allows business rules to be captured in the model to support better analysis
27. What is the architecture of SSAS?
SSAS has a 2-tier architecture.

Both server and client components supply OLAP and Data mining functionalities to BI
applications.
Server components are implemented as individual Microsoft Windows services.
Clients communicate with Analysis Services using the standard XMLA (XML for
Analysis).
28. What languages are used in SSAS?
There are four languages that are used in SSAS. They are:

Structured Query Language (SQL)

Multidimensional Expressions (MDX) for analysis
Data Mining Extensions (DMX) for data mining
Analysis Services Scripting Language (ASSL) for managing Analysis Services database
objects
29. How are cubes implemented in SSAS?
Cubes are multidimensional models that store data and aggregations from one or more
sources. They are created using the Cube Wizard. Also, dimensions are built while
creating cubes.

30. What is writeback? What are its preconditions?

Writeback dialog box enables or disables writebacks for a measure group in a cube.

Enabling writeback on a measure group defines a writeback partition and creates a

writeback table for that measure group.