New Articles About Datazen, Microsoft’s Mobile Dashboard Platform

I’m pleased to share the first two articles in a series for SQL Server Pro Magazine.  Here’s a short excerpt from each with a link to the full article:

Getting Started with Datazen, Microsoft’s New Mobile Dashboard Platform (Part 1)

Microsoft Datazen is a new tool from Microsoft built on a mature and time-tested foundation of enterprise services and visualization components from Component Art.  Interactive, touch-friendly, analytic dashboards created by data professionals are available to users on desktops and practically all modern mobile device platforms.

 

Getting Started with Datazen

The story you are about to read is going to sound too good to be true but it is true and it’s awesome.

About two years ago, I was helping a big consulting client evaluate mobile BI dashboard options for their Microsoft BI solution.  A friend on the BI platform team at Microsoft asked for my thoughts about a new mobile dashboard tool called Datazen.  My initial impression was that the product needed to mature to meet my client’s needs but the interactivity and visual experience was stunning.  Half joking (in a Freudian sort of way), I told him that Microsoft should buy the company and finish integrating it with their BI platform.  Imagine my delight when I learned last month that it actually happened.

http://sqlmag.com/business-intelligence/getting-started-datazen-microsoft-s-new-mobile-dashboard-platform

Setting Up a Datazen Server (Part 2)

Installing the Server

The setup package installs three server components which include the Datazen Core Service, Data Acquisition Service and Rendering Service.  All three services are installed and configured at once but you have the option to install each service separately and on different machines to scale-out the environment for security or performance reasons.  My demo server has everything on one machine along-side SQL Server and Analysis Services.  A document in the setup file extract named Security and Deployment Best Practices.docx contains additional production deployment guidelines.

http://sqlmag.com/business-intelligence/setting-datazen-server

We have plans to offer an online training event that will cover this product and this material in greater detail, likely in the next two months.  Check back for details.