SQL tips and tricks By Satya Katari

With the launch of Microsoft Fabric, a unified analytics platform, many professionals are asking if it can replace traditional tools like SQL Server. While Microsoft Fabric is a game-changer for modern analytics, it is not designed to replace SQL Server. Instead, it complements SQL Server by adding advanced capabilities for large-scale data processing and analytics. Let’s explore the differences and how they work together. What is Microsoft Fabric? Microsoft Fabric is a fully integrated analytics platform that brings together data ingestion, engineering, integration, machine learning, and visualization under one ecosystem. Key components include: It’s a cloud-native platform designed for end-to-end… Read more

SQL Server is a robust database management system, well-suited for storing, managing, and querying structured data. However, when it comes to predictive analysis, Python emerges as the preferred tool for several reasons. Let’s break it down: 1. SQL Server’s Primary Strengths SQL Server excels at: However, its analytical capabilities are limited to statistical calculations and querying. It does not natively support advanced predictive models or machine learning algorithms. 2. Why Python Is Better for Predictive Analysis Python is a programming language specifically designed for versatility, and it has a rich ecosystem of libraries for advanced analytics and machine learning. Here’s… Read more

Power BI is a powerful business intelligence tool developed by Microsoft that enables users to analyze, visualize, and share data insights. Whether you’re a beginner or an experienced data professional, Power BI simplifies the process of turning raw data into meaningful, interactive reports and dashboards. Why Use Power BI? Core Features of Power BI Who Can Use Power BI? Power BI is designed for everyone, from data enthusiasts to business analysts and decision-makers. It’s a great tool for: Get Started with Power BI Power BI empowers you to transform your data into actionable insights. Whether you’re analyzing sales performance, monitoring… Read more

Introduction to Functions Functions in Python are blocks of reusable code that perform a specific task. Functions allow you to organize your code, make it more readable, and avoid repeating the same code. Once a function is defined, you can call it as many times as needed. Functions can accept inputs, called parameters, and can return values using the return keyword. How to Define a Function In Python, functions are defined using the def keyword. The basic syntax is: Calling a Function Once you have defined a function, you can call it to execute the code within it. pythonCopyEditdef greet():… Read more

1. IntroductionIn the previous tutorial, we covered Python variables and data types. In this tutorial, we’ll dive into the basics of operators, conditional statements, and loops in Python. These concepts are essential for making decisions and repeating tasks in your programs. 2. Operators in Python Operators are symbols or keywords used to perform operations on variables and values. Below are the different types of operators in Python: 2.1 Arithmetic Operators Arithmetic operators are used for mathematical operations. 2.2 Comparison Operators Comparison operators compare two values and return a Boolean result (True or False). 2.3 Logical Operators Logical operators combine conditional… Read more

Introduction Now that you’ve written your first Python program, it’s time to dive into some fundamental concepts: variables and data types. These are the building blocks of any Python program. What Are Variables? A variable is a container used to store data in a program. Think of it as a labeled box where you can put a value and access it later. Declaring a Variable In Python, you don’t need to declare the type of a variable explicitly. You simply assign a value using the = operator. Example: name stores a string (“Satya”).age stores an integer (25).is_student stores a boolean… Read more

Introduction Python is one of the most popular programming languages in the world today. It’s beginner-friendly, versatile, and has a vast range of applications, making it the ideal choice for new and experienced programmers alike. Whether you’re interested in data analysis, web development, AI, or even game development, Python can help you achieve your goals. Why Learn Python? Here are some reasons why Python is a great choice for programming in 2025: Applications of Python Setting Up Python on Your System Before writing your first program, you need to install Python and set up an environment. Your First Python Program… Read more

Microsoft Fabric is an all-in-one analytics platform designed for organizations that covers everything from data storage and data movement to data science and real-time analytics. It’s a unified platform that brings together a diverse range of technologies and tools into a single solution. It offers a comprehensive suite of services, including data lake, data engineering, and data integration, all in one place. Components of Microsoft Fabric As part of the Microsoft Fabric trial, users can access six exciting services. One component called Data Activator is currently still in private preview but will likely become available soon, so keep an eye out for updates! Now… Read more

SSAS (SQL Server Analysis Services) is a Microsoft BI (Business Intelligence) technology used for online analytical processing (OLAP) and data mining. Here are some important SSAS terminology:

Data warehouse architecture is the design and building blocks of the modern data warehouse. With the evolution of technology and demands of the data-driven economy, multi-cloud architecture allows for the portability to relocate data and workloads as the business expands, both geographically and among the major cloud vendors such as Amazon and Microsoft. There are three approaches to constructing a data warehouse: Bottom Tier The bottom tier or data warehouse server usually represents a relational database system. Back-end tools are used to cleanse, transform and feed data into this layer.  Middle Tier The middle tier represents an OLAP server that can… Read more