In This Issue (click topic to go directly to it):

Visit the New SQL Server Data Mining TechCenter

Microsoft TechNet now hosts a new TechCenter dedicated to SQL Server Data Mining. The site brings together data mining content from the official Microsoft product pages, community sites and blogs. It also features a new Data Mining MVP every month (you could be next). Check it out.

Rexer Analytics' Data Mining Survey

Here's your chance to have an impact on the general data mining community and share your evaluation of all the DM tools you use, including of course, SQL Server Data Mining. Rexer Analytics is doing their third annual DM survey and it's closing soon. Highlights from past surveys:

• Half of data miners indicate their results are helping to drive strategic decisions and operational processes.

• The most commonly used algorithms are decision trees, regression, and cluster analysis.  Usage of time series is increasing.

• Data miners spend only 20% of their time on actual modeling. More than a third of their time is spent accessing and preparing data.

• In selecting their analytic software, data miners place a high value on dependability, the ability to handle very large datasets, and quality output.

• The most prevalent concerns about data mining utilization are: resistance to using data mining in contexts where it would be beneficial, insufficient training of some data miners, and lack of model refreshing.

 

Sound familiar? Go take the survey now to uphold (or disprove) these findings.

SQLServerDataMining.com Crosses 15,000 Mark

As of this writing, the number of registered users at SQLServerDataMining.com was 15,790 and it's growing every day. Here are some fun stats we mined from the site logs:

• We have registered users from 93 countries with the top three being the United States, the United Kingdom and India (only 30% of you told us your home country).

• We have an average of 6500 visitors and 40,000 page views per month.

• Your favorite section is Tips & Tricks, followed by Tutorials and Live!Samples.

• Wednesday is your preferred "mining" day of the week - that's when we get the most page views.

 

The SQL Server Data Mining team is thrilled that so many of you find our homegrown site useful! Send us your feedback on what you else you'd like to see on the web site and we will do our best to comply.

DM Fixes in SQL Server 2008 Cumulative Update

A cumulative update package was recently released for SQL Server 2008 and it is available for download. The update includes the following fixes for Data Mining:

960566	FIX: The chart of a mining model is empty when you browse the mining model in Excel 2007 by using Microsoft SQL Server 2008 Data Mining Add-ins for Microsoft Excel
960771	FIX: Some attributes of a nested table do not appear in a SQL Server 2008 Data Mining model when the data source is a cube
960864	FIX: Error message when you view a data mining model in Mining Model Viewer in SQL Server 2008 Analysis Services: "Exception has been thrown by the target of an invocation.Item has already been added"

Back Issues

You can find previous issues (as well as the current edition) of this newsletter here.

Unsubscribing from this newsletter

We email this newsletter to registered users of www.sqlserverdatamining.com who have opted to receive it. If you no longer wish to get it via email:

1. Log in to your account. If you are having trouble logging in, send us an email from the email address at which you received this newsletter.

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3. Click on the Manage Services link and then click the  Unsubscribe link to the left of "Newsletter".

 

Thank you

The SQL Server Data Mining Team

 

Questions or comments?  E-mail  newsletter@sqlserverdatamining.com.  

In This Issue (click topic to go directly to it):

In This Issue (click topic to go directly to it):

SQL Server Data Mining Case Studies

Here is a list of SQL Server Data Mining case studies available on microsoft.com. These should give you some insight into the myriad ways customers across the world are applying SQL Server Data Mining to tackle their business problems.

 

Location	Industry	Case Study
Philippines	Media & Entertainment	Wireless Services Firm Doubles Response Rates with SQL Server 2005 Data Mining 10/23/05
Canada	Professional Services	Microsoft Partner Helps Internet-Monitoring Company Crawl 750 Million Pages Monthly 01/17/07
France	Professional Services	E-Commerce Provider Boosts Competitiveness with Microsoft Technology and Partnership 02/04/07
France	Retail	French Retailer Deploys Powerful Solution to Handle 1 Million Orders a Day 09/04/06
Israel	Healthcare	Microsoft SQL Server 2005 Data Mining Helps Clalit Preserve Health and Save Lives 11/03/05
France	Manufacturing	New Business Intelligence Solution Reduces Customer Churn by 25 to 30 Percent 03/16/06
United States	Government	The Illinois Department of Transportation Saves Lives with Microsoft Business Intelligence Solution 21-Apr-08
Germany	Transportation & Logistics	Global Air Freight Company Analyzes Mission Critical Logistics Data with SQL Server 2005 02/01/06
United Kingdom	Media & Entertainment	Scalable Data Warehouse Helps U.K. Lifestyle Group Consolidate Multiple Data Sources in Just Three Months 11/07/06
Italy	Financial Services	New Information System Increases Efficiency and Helps Double Profits at Italian Bank 02/16/07
United Kingdom	Education	Analytical Tools Help Research Group Provide New Insight Into How Darwin Developed His Theory of Evolution 11/07/06
United Kingdom	Education	Research Group Unlocks the Secrets of Darwinian Research with Mapping and Database Software 18-Mar-08
United States	Manufacturing	Xerox Develops Scalable, Hosted Solution to Optimize Global Print Fleet Management 11/11/05
United States	Professional Services	Database Products Help Real Estate Service Evaluate Millions of Homes Daily, Cut Costs 08/24/06
United States	Financial Services	Zurich in North American Anticipates U.S.$25 Million Gain with SQL Server 2005 Solution 01/22/07

Visual Numerics Plugs Into SQL Server Data Mining

Our friends at Visual Numerics have published an excellent whitepaper that covers the creation of plug-in algorithms for SQL Server Data Mining in C#. In addition to documenting the architecture and concepts required, they have created a step-by-step tutorial that demonstrates how simple it was to integrate their own K-Means clustering algorithm into SQL Server Data Mining using the managed interfaces. And to top it all, they have included the *complete source code* in the appendix! You do need to get Visual Numerics' IMSL C# Numerical Library - the company provides an evaluation copy and technical documentation upon request. Well worth checking out.

SQL MVP Improves Launch Event Experience with DM Add-ins

Watch SQL Server MVP Wee Hyong talk about how he used the SQL Server 2008 Data Mining Add-ins for Office 2007 to help provide a more personalized experience for users at a Singapore User Group community event in this Channel 9 interview. He even presents a demo during the chat!

SQL Server Data Mining Resources

• SQL Server 2008 Data Mining Overview

• SQL Server Data Mining Community Site

• MSDN Forum for SQL Server Data Mining

• Microsoft SQL Server 2005 Web Site

• SQL Server Developer Center 

In This Issue (click topic to go directly to it):

Win an Autographed Copy of 'Data Mining with SQL Server 2008' Book

Tell us how you are using SQL Server Data Mining for a chance to win one of 10 autographed copies of the just-released book Data Mining with SQL Server 2008, by SQL DM product gurus Jamie MacLennan, Bogdan Crivat and Zhaohui Tang. To qualify, please take the survey by November 21, 2008.

 

We are looking forward to hearing from you - your input will help us to not only improve the product but also determine the future vision for SQL Server Data Mining!

New Additions to SQL Server Cloud Data Mining Incubation

In the last issue, we brought you news about the public unveiling of the Table Analysis Tools for the Cloud project from SQL Services Labs. The project has moved forward since then and added some cool new features, including the Prediction Calculator from the SQL Server 2008 Data Mining Add-ins for Office 2007 and support for mining cloud data from SQL Data Services. Check it out in your favorite web browser!

Support Vector Machines Algorithm for SQL Server Data Mining

Several customers have requested support (pun intended) for the popular Support Vector Machines algorithm and their wish has been granted - but not by the product team!  Joris Valkonet, Thanh Luc and Mark Beerens of Avanade Netherlands have taken advantage of the SQL Server Data Mining plug-in algorithm and viewer framework to publish a plug-in SVM algorithm complete with its own viewer that plugs into BI Development Studio and SQL Management Studio. The implementation is written in managed code (C#) using the Managed Plug-in Algorithm Framework and it is available for download with full source code on CodePlex.

SQL Server 2008 DM Viewer Controls in October Feature Pack

If  you have been waiting to get your hands on the updated SQL Server 2008 DM Viewer Controls for embedding in your custom DM applications, they are now available  for download in redistributable form as part of the SQL Server 2008 Feature Pack (October 2008). These are the same WinForm controls that allow you to browse mining models in BI Development Studio, SQL Management Studio and the Data Mining Add-ins for Office 2007. Now go forth and embed!

Predictive Analytics for the Retail Industry

Microsoft has published a white paper that shows you how to apply SQL Server Data Mining to address typical retail scenarios. The examples it explores include churn analysis to estimate the number of customers in danger of being lost, market analysis to show how customers are distributed between high and low value segments, and market basket analysis to determine those products that customers are more likely to buy together.

Back Issues

You can find previous issues (as well as the current edition) of this newsletter here.

Unsubscribing from this newsletter

We email this newsletter to registered users of www.sqlserverdatamining.com who have opted to receive it. If you no longer wish to get it via email:

1. Log in to your account.

2. Click on your login name in the top right corner to edit your profile.

3. Unsubscribe using the Manage Services link.

 

Thank you

The SQL Server Data Mining Team

 

Questions or comments?  E-mail  newsletter@sqlserverdatamining.com.  

In This Issue (click topic to go directly to it):

White Paper on SQL Server 2008 Predictive Analysis

Microsoft Learning has put together a white paper, Predictive Analysis With SQL Server 2008, that gives you a broad overview of the various facets of the SQL Server Data Mining platform. It covers integration with other BI pieces, the ability to embed predictive functionality into line-of-business applications and  "pervasive delivery through Office 2007" (a.k.a. DM Add-ins). This is an easy read - and you may discover capabilities that you might not have been aware of previously.

DM Add-ins Screencast on Channel 9

As part of the BI Developer screencast series, Channel 9 features the SQL Server Data Mining Add-ins in Introducing the Table Analysis Tools for Excel 2007, a 15-minute walkthrough of all the tasks in the most "end-user-friendly" of the three add-ins for Office 2007. The series also includes a general introduction to SQL Server Data Mining (another quick 15 minutes) from the SQL Server training experts at Solid Quality Learning.

SQL Server Data Mining Resources

• SQL Server 2008 Data Mining Overview

• SQL Server Data Mining Community Site

• MSDN Forum for SQL Server Data Mining

• Microsoft SQL Server 2005 Web Site

• SQL Server Developer Center 

In This Issue (click topic to go directly to it):

Tech.Ed 2007: Data Mining Highlights

• Developing More Intelligent Applications with Data Mining: Presented by Rafal Lukawiecki, the top speaker at TechEd 2007, this engaging talk offers a glimpse of the future: where apps learn and adjust their behavior by harnessing the power of data mining.  And here's a short interview with Rafal at Tech.Ed Developers 2007 (Barcelona) where he talks again about the power of data mining and his upcoming SQL Server Data Mining Road Show spanning 21 countries.

• Hands-On Lab for the Office 2007 Data Mining Add-Ins: Featured in the Best of Tech.Ed 2007, this virtual lab by Raman Iyer walks you through the end-to-end data mining lifecycle from data exploration and cleaning to building, evaluating and using a mining model to generate a targeted mailing list using the Data Mining Client Add-in for Excel. [Note: The Excel spreadsheet used in the lab is available here.]

• Watch Donald Farmer, Principal Program Manager for SQL Server Data Mining, play the chat show host at Tech.Ed 2007.

DM Webcasts: New and Upcoming

Donald's having a busy month! Here's the long list of webcasts he's delivering in November - use the links to view the webcasts you missed and sign up for  the remaining live ones:

 

Bogdan's Blogging

Many of you are likely familiar with Bogdan Crivat - you've met him (at least virtually) on the Data Mining MSDN forum, where he's an active presence. Bogdan also happens to be a senior developer on the SQL Server Data Mining team and he's started sharing some of his deep knowledge and insight into data mining (among other things) via his new blog. He currently has some neat inside info on the DM Add-ins - take a peek.

Donald Farmer on the '.NET Rocks!' Talk Show

Beer and diapers - fact or urban legend?  It's one of the many data mining topics that Donald  talks about in this entertaining chat on the '.NET Rocks!' Talk Show with hosts Richard Campbell and Carl Franklin. If you're more of the reading type, you can just peruse the transcript.

Russian Channel 9 Video Showcasing DM Add-ins

If you speak or understand Russian, check out this Channel 9 interview with SQL Server Data Mining developer Tatyana Yakushev, where she shows off the Data Mining Add-ins. If not, at least forward it to your friends from the former USSR - they will appreciate an intro straight from one of the developers who wrote the DM Add-ins for Office 2007.

SQL Server Data Mining Resources

• SQL Server Data Mining Community Site

• MSDN Forum for SQL Server Data Mining

• Microsoft SQL Server 2005 Web Site

• SQL Server Developer Center 

In This Issue (click topic to go directly to it):

DM Add-ins Make Cover of SQL Server Magazine

The front cover of the May 2007 edition of SQL Server Magazine features an article by Tyler Chessman that describes the installation and configuration of the Data Mining Add-ins for Office 2007 and then walks you - in great detail - through implementing the complete scenario of building a targeted mailing list using the Data Mining Client Add-in for Excel. Read the full article in print or the web version here.

MSDN Webcast on Building a Recommendation Engine

The SQL Server Data Mining team has a new Principal Program Manager and he's out there spreading the good word about the wondrous ways you can put SQL Server Data Mining to use. Watch this new MSDN webcast by Donald Farmer and learn how to quickly assemble a simple recommendation engine in ASP.NET with SQL Server DM providing the muscle under the covers.

b.eye Network's Solution Spotlight Features SQL Server Data Mining

Donald's everywhere! Business Intelligence Network (b.eye) has a new Solution Spotlight where Donald Farmer explains the benefits of providing all business intelligence users with the ability to gain valuable insight into complex data through easy-to-use data mining capabilities that enable predictive analysis – with just a few mouse clicks. You can listen to this audio spotlight online or download the podcast.

TechNet Webcast: Data Mining Add-ins for the 2007 Office System

Learn about the capabilities of the recently-released DM Add-ins for Office 2007 and watch them in action in this on-demand replay of Jamie MacLennan's webcast. Then go download the add-ins and try them out yourself - hey, they're free (you don't even need to register)!

We Are Hiring!

Do you know smart, passionate folks who can take SQL Server Data Mining to the next level? Send them our way!

We have development and test positions available on the product team. 

SQL Server Data Mining Resources

• SQL Server Data Mining Community Site

• MSDN Forum for SQL Server Data Mining

• Microsoft SQL Server 2005 Web Site

• SQL Server Developer Center 

Data Mining Add-ins For Office 2007 Released

The SQL Server Data Mining team takes great pride in announcing the general availability of the SQL Server 2005 Data Mining Add-ins for Office 2007 as a free web download. The add-ins allow you to take advantage of the power of SQL Server Data Mining in the familiar environment of Excel and Visio whether you are a data mining expert or a novice.

 

Here are official resources to get you going:

• Add-ins download page -  http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkId=82754.

• Video tutorials and more -  http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkID=81060.

 

And don't forget to check out the whitepaper and tip for trying out the add-ins on www.sqlserverdatamining.com.

Data Mining Fixes in SQL Server 2005 SP2

Service Pack 2 for SQL Server 2005 was released this week and it's available for download here. Here are the key fixes and updates in SP2 for data mining:

• Neural Network Viewer: Performance improvements, localization fixes and support for multiple nested tables.

• Sequence Clustering Viewer: Multiple fixes covering cases where the view is either empty or not colored correctly.

• Neural Network training: Improved memory utilization for sparse data sets resolving many cases where training ran out of memory; parallel subnet training (Enterprise Edition).

• Naive-Bayes prediction: Performance has been improved through caching of commonly used attributes.

• Time Series prediction: Improved accuracy.

• Limited support has been added for mining model viewers with local models.

• The Data Mining Viewer Controls redistributable package has a new dependency on ADOMD.NET. The updated package is available for download as part of the SP2 Feature Pack (look for Microsoft SQL Server 2005 Datamining Viewer Controls on this page).

SQL Server DM Embedded in Microsoft Dynamics CRM Analytics Foundation

This month, Microsoft announced the availability of Microsoft Dynamics CRM Analytics Foundation, a set of easy-to-use BI tools to enable the comprehensive analysis and management of customer-facing processes that includes predictive analytics using the data mining algorithms in SQL Server 2005 Analysis Services. SQL Server Data Mining is utilized to "detect patterns within customer information streams and to generate recommendations and decisions for driving better business process performance".

SQL Server Data Mining Resources

• SQL Server Data Mining Community Site

• MSDN Forum for SQL Server Data Mining

• Microsoft SQL Server 2005 Web Site

• SQL Server Developer Center 

Data Mining Add-ins For Office 2007 In The Works

Attendees at TechEd 2006 got a first look of the SQL Server Data Mining Add-ins for Office 2007, which garnered a spot on the Top Ten TechEd Hot Buttons. The release will include Table Analysis Tools for Excel, Data Mining Client for Excel and Data Mining Templates for Visio. Watch this space for more news on the add-ins, coming soon to your desktop in beta form with Community Technology Preview 2 (CTP2) of SQL Server 2005 Service Pack 2 (SP2). In the meantime, you can check out some early screenshots. You'll also have an opportunity to see the add-ins live at PASS 2006.

SQL Server Data Mining Rocks KDD 2006

SQL Server Data Mining had an unusually flamboyant presence at the top data mining conference held in Philadelphia in August this year. The development team has been a regular exhibitor at the ACM Knowledge Discovery and Data Mining (KDD) conference over the past few years, showing off the different facets of the SQL Server Data Mining platform as it was being developed. This time around, in addition to showing the finished product now shipping as part of SQL Server 2005, the team made a splash by offering attendees live demos of the upcoming Office 2007 Data Mining Add-ins. To top it all, booth visitors also received numbered "Data Mining Rocks" T-shirts with a lucky wearer (name withheld to protect the innocent) snagging a complete Xbox 360 system at a drawing held on the second day of the conference. Lunch at the ballroom on the day of drawing was a sea of black and orange with a large number of attendees donning the SQL Server Data Mining colors :-)

Kimball Group Presents DM Webcast

Kimball Group recently did a TechNet webcast that presented a "comprehensive overview of data mining from a database development perspective". Using a typical business-driven approach to data mining, the webcast shows how to identify data mining opportunities, covering cover the practical elements needed to make it work well, such as data preparation, model building, and validation plus recommendations on how to maintain your data mining solution. The on-demand recording is available here.

We Are Still Hiring!

Do you know smart, passionate folks who can take SQL Server Data Mining to the next level? Send them our way!

We still have a program management position available. 

SQL Server Data Mining Resources

• SQL Server Data Mining Community Site

• MSDN Forum for SQL Server Data Mining

• Microsoft SQL Server 2005 Web Site

• SQL Server Developer’s Center 

Managed Plug-in Algorithm Framework Released

Yes, you can now build your own plug-in algorithms for SQL Server Data Mining using C# or VB.NET thanks to some great work from Bogdan Crivat. This free download is part of the April 2006 Feature Pack for SQL Server 2005 and it includes the full source code for the class libraries, a step-by-step tutorial and complete API documentation. With this nifty SDK in hand, you have no reason left to put off writing that custom algorithm that you've been fantasizing about!

Data Mining Fixes in SQL Server 2005 SP1

Service Pack 1 for SQL Server 2005 was released in April and it's available for download here. Here are the key fixes and updates in SP1 for data mining:

• Multiple fixes have been made in the Neural Network viewer to address browsing failures in various scenarios.

• The Cluster Profiles page for Sequence Clustering has been fixed to show the correct color-coding instead of being all-black.

• The decision tree viewer in the DHTML viewer samples was broken by a last minute change in VS 2005 - that has been fixed now.

• The Cluster Profiles page in the Cluster viewer now shows the cluster description.

• Various localization fixes have been made in mining model viewers and content.

• F1 Help has been added for more data mining dialogs.

• Sundry tooltip and node legend fixes have been made in the Time Series and Sequence Clustering model viewers.

MSN Search Uses SQL 2005 Data Mining to Improve Relevance

Robert Scoble (a.k.a. Scobelizer) recently interviewed MSN Search team members for this Channel 9 video in his characteristic no-holds-barred style. Hear them talk about using "Yukon" (the codename for SQL Server 2005) Data Mining Neural Networks to improve search relevance.

Predicting Home Sales with SQL 2005 DM

Sci-Tech Today features an article that describes a project in the works at  Long & Foster Real Estate Inc. that will "boost its housing sales and win new listings" using the OLAP and DM capabilities in SQL Server 2005 Analysis Services. The system will use data mining to "determine the likelihood of a house selling in 30,60 or 90 days" and integrate the results into its operational flow by using Reporting Services to "provide its real estate agents with near-real-time BI reports showing the likelihood that a home will sell based on the interest it generates on the company's Web site".

SQLServerDataMining.com Gets a Facelift

Check out the new-look front page at www.sqlserverdatamining.com - it's designed to be more dynamic and give you easy access to new and existing content. This is the first in a series of changes that the dev team is planning on making over the next few months, in its ample spare time. Stay tuned.

We Are Still Hiring!

Do you know smart, passionate folks who can take SQL Server Data Mining to the next level? Send them our way!

We have development and program management positions available. 

SQL Server Data Mining Resources

• SQL Server Data Mining Community Site

• MSDN Forum for SQL Server Data Mining

• Microsoft SQL Server 2005 Web Site

• SQL Server Developer’s Center 

Talk to us on the SQL Server Data Mining MSDN Forum

Many of you are likely reading this newsletter on our public newsgroup microsoft.public.sqlserver.datamining. We would like to encourage you to post your questions and share your insights with the SQL Server Data Mining community on the Data Mining MSDN forum. The MSDN forum offers several advantages including immediately visible responses, the ability to update previous posts, rich text editing, alerts and most importantly, *no spam*.

Forecasting on the Fly with SQL Data Mining and Reporting Services

TechNet recently featured an excellent article excerpted from the book "Applied Microsoft Analysis Services" by Teo Lachev. "Implementing Smart Reports with the Microsoft Business Intelligence Platform" shows you two ways to leverage SQL Server Data Mining to author "smart" reports. The Sales Forecast report is particularly interesting -  it builds a temporary "session" mining model using the Microsoft Time Series algorithm to generate the forecast.

Yet Another DM Webcast

A new entry has been added to the growing collection of  data mining webcasts presented by the SQL Server Data Mining team - check out the  replay of  Raman Iyer's  Feb 16, 2006 live TechNet webcast "Introduction to Data Mining with SQL Server 2005". This is a good one to share with folks curious about the possibilities of data mining and predictive analytics, the general data mining process and the specific capabilities of SQL Server 2005 Data Mining.

We Are Hiring!

Do you know smart, passionate folks who can take SQL Server Data Mining to the next level? Send them our way!

We have development, test and program management positions available. 

SQL Server Data Mining Resources

• SQL Server Data Mining Community Site

• MSDN Forum for SQL Server Data Mining

• Microsoft SQL Server 2005 Web Site

• SQL Server Developer’s Center 

SQL Server 2005 Is READY!

Yup, it's OFFICIAL! SQL Server 2005 was released to manufacturing at the end of October and it was officially launched on November 7 in San Francisco.  

 

The SQL Server Data Mining team would like to take this opportunity to thank all of you folks - our early adopters -  for your support and feedback. You helped us ship a world-class product that we're really proud of, one that we know will change the face of the data mining industry. 

 

The final product will be making its way to the retail channel over the next couple of months, but it's already available for immediate download to MSDN subscribers. There will be scores of additional launch events in cities across the US and the rest of the world over the next month, so you can try and catch one of those if you weren't able to make it to SFO.

 

For more information about the SQL Server 2005 launch, visit www.microsoft.com/sql.

Zen And The Art Of Clustering

Sure, implementing a good clustering algorithm can be an art but we've taken clustering to a whole new aesthetic level. Check out the new live sample "The Art Of Clustering" at SQLServerDataMining.com - it lets you draw your own elliptical clusters and play with various algorithm parameters to see how the Microsoft Clustering algorithm works. As a side benefit, you also get to generate some cool artwork for your office walls. Give it a shot.

Plug Into SQL Server Data Mining

SQL Server 2005 Data Mining has an extensible framework that allows independent software developers to easily integrate new data mining algorithms and viewers into the product. The product team has provided in-depth technical articles, tutorials as well as sample source code for building "plug-in" algorithms and viewers. What was missing was a high-level overview of the technology that explains the benefits and overall architecture. We bring you a sneak preview of an upcoming MSDN article by Raman Iyer called "Plugging Into SQL Server Data Mining" that fills this gap.

Mining The Flow

This month's SQL Server Standard magazine features an article by Jamie MacLennan that shows you how to use transforms in SQL Server 2005 Integration Services to perform data mining operations directly in your operational data flow.

Data Mining Components In SQL Server 2005 Feature Pack Download

The first SQL Server 2005 Feature Pack is now available for free download here. Data Mining users might find the following redistributables useful:

• Microsoft SQL Server 2005 Datamining Viewer Controls - these are the Winform controls for the DM viewers in Business Intelligence Development Studio and SQL Management Studio. You can now embed them in your own applications!

• Microsoft SQL Server 2005 Analysis Services 9.0 OLE DB Provider  - you can use this to install just the AS 2005 OLE DB provider and build local mining models on client machines. Note that MSXML6 (a link for the download is available on the same page) is a prerequisite for the provider.

SQL Server 2005 FAQ At SQLServerDataMining.Com

You can now direct friends, colleagues and customers curious about data mining in SQL Server 2005 to the updated FAQ section at SQLServerDataMining.com - it has been refreshed with a new set of starter questions (and answers) for the SQL Server 2005 launch. The existing SQL Server 2000 FAQ has been moved to the SQL Server 2000 DM section.

PDC Presentation On Smart Client Applications Available Online

Jamie MacLennan and Brian Welcker from the SQL Server team presented a talk on building smart applications like an intelligent call center using SQL Server 2005 Data Mining and Reporting Services at the Microsoft Professional Developers Conference held in LA in September. You can view the PowerPoint presentation here.

Talk to us (in public)

Now that SQL Server 2005 has shipped, the beta newsgroups (microsoft.beta.yukon.analysisservices.datamining and microsoft.private.sqlserver2005.analysisservices.datamining) are closed. Please continue posting your questions and comments to our public newsgroup: microsoft.public.sqlserver.datamining.

 

We appreciate your feedback on the product.

SQL Server Data Mining Resources

·         SQL Server Data Mining Community Site

·         SQL Server Newsgroups

·         Microsoft SQL Server 2005 Web Site

·         SQL Server Developer’s Center 

SQL 2005 Data Mining Gains Mindshare At KDD-2005

SQL Server 2005 Data Mining had a prominent presence again this year at KDD, the foremost data mining research and industry conference, held August 21-24 in Chicago.

The SQL Data Mining booth had several machines set up for attendees to explore the product through tutorials and demo applications that showcased its wide-ranging capabilities and integration with other BI components in the SQL Server 2005 product family, including Reporting Services and Integration Services. Bogdan Crivat, from the SQL Data Mining development team, also unveiled a framework he is working on that allows customers and independent software developers to easily develop plug-in algorithms for SQL Server 2005 Data Mining using CLR languages like C# or VB.NET. This will soon be available for download from www.sqlserverdatamining.com.

On the partner front, SPSS and KXEN shared booth space with the SQL DM team, eliciting much interest and excitement with their SQL Server 2005 integration pieces. SPSS demonstrated their data exploration and data preparation elements integrated into the Business Intelligence Development Studio alongside the SQL Server 2005 designers, while KXEN showed off their specialized plug-in algorithm for classification.

SQL Server 2005 September CTP Available For Public Download

The September Community Technology Preview is the second and last pre-release version of SQL Server 2005. This is a stable release that's very close to the final product that will be released later this year, so go ahead - download it, make sure your beta applications still work and try out some new ones that take advantage of the full spectrum of data mining features in SQL Server 2005.

Data Mining Lab Wins Top Rating At TechReady1 2005

In a repeat of the performance at Tech.Ed 2005 earlier this year, SQL Server Data Mining took the top spot when the user ratings came for the hands-on labs at Microsoft's internal training event for its field personnel - TechReady1 2005.  This week-long event, held in Seattle in August this year, included presentations and labs on a broad range of new and upcoming products across all Microsoft businesses.

More Data Mining Webcasts Available On-Demand

The SQL Data Mining team has been presenting live webcasts on MSDN and TechNet frequently over the past months. For your convenience, these have been made available on-demand as well. Here's a list of on-demand links, including recent additions:

• MSDN Webcast: Applying SQL Server 2005 Data Mining to Enterprise Business Problems (Level 300)

• MSDN Webcast: Incorporating Data Mining into the Integration, Analysis and Reporting Components of Business Intelligence (Level 300)

• MSDN Webcast: Intelligent Applications: Embedding Data Mining in Your Application (Level 300)

• MSDN Webcast: Putting the "Smart" in Smart Client: Using Data Mining for Data Validation in Your Smart Client Applications (Level 200)

• TechNet Webcast: Overview of SQL Server 2005 Data Mining (Level 200)

Tips and Tricks At SQLServerDataMining.Com

Many of you are probably subscribers to the TipsNTricks RSS feed from SQLServerDataMining.com. For those of you who aren't aware of this: the SQL Data Mining team regularly posts short (and sometimes long) articles that address various practical issues and scenarios that you might encounter as you delve deeper into SQL Server 2005 Data Mining. To pique your interest, here is a sampling of recent tips:

• Working with temporary models

• Mining in-memory data

• Sample DMX Queries using Adventure Works DW

• A scorecard for Logistic Regression models

• Renaming Clusters with Integration Services

SQL Server Data Mining Resources

·         SQL Server Data Mining Community Site

·         SQL Server 2005 Newsgroups

·         Microsoft SQL Server 2005 Web Site

·         SQL Server Developer’s Center 

Talk to us

We appreciate your feedback on the product. Please post your questions and comments to our newsgroups:

·         SQL Server 2005 Beta:  microsoft.private.sqlserver2005.analysisservices.datamining

·         SQL Server 2000: microsoft.public.sqlserver.datamining

NOTICE: SQLServerDataMining.Com Downtime

You might have noticed that www.sqlserverdatamining.com has been intermittently down for the past couple of weeks. We apologize for the inconvenience. To ensure better availability, we will be moving to a new host and reconfiguring the site starting June 22, 2005. The downside is that the site will be unavailable for about a week and a half during the move. Thanks in advance for your patience!

 

During the downtime, you can continue to ask product questions on our newsgroup using the web interface at http://communities.microsoft.com/newsgroups/default.asp?ICP=sqlserver2005 (click Analysis Services Data Mining at the top of the right pane).

SQL Server Data Mining Resources

·         SQL Server Data Mining Community Site

·         SQL Server 2005 Newsgroups

·         Microsoft SQL Server 2005 Web Site

·         SQL Server Developer’s Center 

Talk to us

We appreciate your feedback on the product. Please post your questions and comments to our newsgroups:

·         SQL Server 2005 Beta:  microsoft.private.sqlserver2005.analysisservices.datamining

·         SQL Server 2000: microsoft.public.sqlserver.datamining

SQL Server Data Mining Resources

·         SQL Server Data Mining Community Site

·         SQL Server 2005 Newsgroups

·         Microsoft SQL Server 2005 Web Site

·         SQL Server Developer’s Center 

Talk to us

We appreciate your feedback on the product. Please post your questions and comments to our newsgroups:

·         SQL Server 2005 Beta:  microsoft.private.sqlserver2005.analysisservices.datamining

·         SQL Server 2000: microsoft.public.sqlserver.datamining

SQL Server Data Mining Resources

·         SQL Server Data Mining Community Site

·         SQL Server 2005 Newsgroups

·         Microsoft SQL Server 2005 Web Site

·         SQL Server Developer’s Center 

Talk to us

We appreciate your feedback on the product. Please post your questions and comments to our newsgroups:

·         SQL Server 2005 Beta:  microsoft.private.sqlserver2005.analysisservices.datamining

·         SQL Server 2000: microsoft.public.sqlserver.datamining

SQL Server Data Mining Resources

·         SQL Server Data Mining Community Site

·         SQL Server 2005 Newsgroups

·         Microsoft SQL Server 2005 Web Site

·         SQL Server Developer’s Center 

Talk to us

We appreciate your feedback on the product. Please post your questions and comments to our newsgroups:

·         SQL Server 2005 Beta:  microsoft.private.sqlserver2005.analysisservices.datamining

·         SQL Server 2000: microsoft.public.sqlserver.datamining

the data miner                     SQL  Server Data  Mining  News

Volume 1, Issue 2 October 2004

 

Welcome to the October issue of 'The Data Miner' - the official newsletter of SQL Server Data Mining. This monthly newsletter keeps you up-to-date with the latest happenings in the SQL Server Data Mining world and gives you useful tips to help you get the most from SQL Server Data Mining.

SQLServerDataMining.com Goes Live!

The SQL Server 2005 Data Mining team has its own community web site on the internet now.  SQLServerDataMining.com was officially launched this month on the PASS website (http://www.sqlpass.org). PASS had an exclusive on the launch for a week and prominently featured an introduction to SQLServerDataMining.com on its home page in the ‘What’s New’ section, as well as in the October 20 issue of the PASS Community Connector newsletter.

 

Also, check out the exclusive PASS SIG interview with SQL Data Mining development lead Jamie MacLennan, where he talks about the site launch and future plans.

 

SQLServerDataMining.com was put together by members of the SQL Server Data Mining development team with infrastructure help from Richard Tkachuk, lead program manager in the Analysis Services OLAP team. The site features sample downloads, white papers, articles and useful SQL Data Mining tips and tricks from the product team.

More Magazine Articles from the SQL Data Mining Team

This month yielded a bumper crop of publications from the development team, with three articles in industry magazines on SQL Server 2005 Data Mining:

 

In "Detect Anomalies in Excel Spreadsheets", published by Access-VB-SQL Advisor magazine, Bogdan Crivat and Jamie MacLennan show us how to use SQL Server 2005 Data Mining inside Excel to detect spreadsheet values that do not fit the general patterns in the rest of the data.

 

The feature article “SQL Server 2005 Data Mining: Create a Web Cross-sell Application” in ASP.NET PRO magazine’s October issue shows developers how they can easily add cross-sell functionality to their ASP.NET web pages by employing the power of SQL Server Data Mining. This article was written by Jesper Lind and Raman Iyer.

 

Zhaohui Tang’s “What’s New in SQL Server 2005 Data Mining” was published in SQL Server Central magazine’s September/October 2004 issue. A copy of the article can be downloaded from SQLServerDataMining.com.

SQL Server Data Mining Resources

·         SQL Server Data Mining Community Site

·         SQL Server 2005 Newsgroups

·         Microsoft SQL Server 2005 Web Site

·         SQL Server Developer’s Center 

Talk to us

We appreciate your feedback on the product. Please post your questions and comments to our newsgroups:

·         SQL Server 2005 Beta:  microsoft.private.sqlserver2005.analysisservices.datamining

·         SQL Server 2000: microsoft.public.sqlserver.datamining

 

 

Thank you

The SQL Server Data Mining Team

 

Questions or comments?  E-mail  newsletter@sqlserverdatamining.com.  

the data miner                     SQL  Server Data  Mining  News

September 2004

 

Welcome to the inaugural issue of 'The Data Miner' - the official newsletter of SQL Server Data Mining. This periodic newsletter keeps you up-to-date with the latest happenings in the SQL Server Data Mining world and gives you useful tips to help you get the most from SQL Server Data Mining.

SQL Server 2005 Data Mining at KDD-2004

SQL Server 2005 Data Mining made a big splash at KDD-2004, the premier data mining conference organized by the ACM's SIG KDD (Knowledge Discovery and Data Mining). KDD was held Aug 22-25 in Seattle this year.

 

Jamie MacLennan, development lead for SQL Server Data Mining, gave a well-received invited talk on Data Mining standards on the first day of the conference. Microsoft researcher David Heckerman's keynote on "Graphical Models for Data Mining" on the third day was an unqualified success, with many attendees rating it one of the best-ever  KDD keynote talks. Heckerman's MLAS (Machine Learning and Applied Statistics) team at Microsoft Research is one of the key collaborators of the SQL Server Data Mining product team, contributing the Time Series and Sequence Clustering algorithms as well as the dependency network and other viewers to SQL Server 2005.

 

We had the busiest booth by far in the exhibition area. The booth had six machines set up with tutorials and demo applications that visitors could use to explore SQL Server 2005 Data Mining.  Most of the research and industry experts who received demos of SQL Server 2005 Beta 2 Data Mining capabilities offered glowing feedback about the product.

 

Team members demo SQL Server 2005 Data Mining to conference attendees

 

 

SPSS in Our Corner

SPSS, the world’s second largest data mining software vendor, was in the SQL Server 2005 Data Mining booth showing off their algorithms and viewers integrated into the Beta 2 edition of Analysis Server 2005 and Business Intelligence Development Studio respectively. This was a testament to the extensibility designed into the SQL Server Data Mining platform and it evoked a lot of excitement both from business customers and other vendors exhibiting at KDD.

MSDN Data Mining Article

This month’s issue of MSDN Magazine features an article that takes you on a whirlwind tour of SQL Server 2005 Data Mining. Check it out.

SQL Server Data Mining Resources

·         Data Mining Community Site

·         SQL Server 2005 Newsgroups

·         Microsoft SQL Server 2005 Web Site

·         SQL Server Developer’s Center

 

Talk to us

We appreciate your feedback on the product. Please post your questions and comments to our newsgroups:

·         SQL Server 2005 Beta:  microsoft.private.sqlserver2005.analysisservices.datamining

·         SQL Server 2000: microsoft.public.sqlserver.datamining

 

 

Thank you

The SQL Server Data Mining Team

 

Questions or comments?  E-mail  newsletter@sqlserverdatamining.com.