Data Modeling, Dates and DAX

Presenting data in the format to ease visualization is required for any BI product.  Power BI provides much of this with Data Analysis Expressions, (DAX).   As a DBA, I admit to cringing every time a reference was made how similar it is to functions in Excel or other non-database platforms.  I’m a DBA and I naturally am going to see data at a much larger, more complex level.  I love the simplicity of DAX, which granted me the ability to acquire basic skills using it in just a day, but considering Power BI’s ability to pull from multiple data sources, including SQL Server, Oracle, PostgreSQL and even JSON files, the comparison to Excel left me feeling, well, ‘meh.’ 

• DAX
• Power BI
• Power BI Desktop