Power BI

The obstacles: First of all I need a Windows laptop. I've been a Linux user for decades and I have a dislike of Windows for home use. I tried dual booting Linux and Windows but it created problems sharing files and left very little space for actually working. Fortunately, I got some old hardware working which can accomodate Win 10.

The next challenge was to locate the Windows product key that came with the laptop... fortunately there is no physical key to find! It's embedded in the BIOS. Another proble solved! Next - Microsoft make it easy to obtain the installation media - it's right there on their website. Another win! I was able to piggy-back on my sister's family subscription which included PowerBI - awesome... now I'm all ready to go!

The platform: I'm using the PowerBI desktop app. It's a bit slow, but I'm sure that's down to the hardware. Also the data source is the same laptop adding to the overhead. Previously I had tried the free online tool, but many features were missing and it felt quite a clunker to use. ... now I'm all ready to go!

Semantic Models: Semantic Data Models are the foundations for reporting and visualization. I created my semantic model in Excel using semi aggregated totals, as if it were coming from a data warehouse. I was pleased to read that the semantic data models created in PowerBI desktop are built on the SSAS analysis services technology and are analogous to the tabular model.

I built a star schema for the FreshCola! soft drinks business with production data across 2024-25. I have a product and calendar dimension along with a fact table of output quantities and wastage. It's a simple matter to set up the relations using the data modelling tab in PowerBI.

Data Analysis Expressions (DAX):