Book Description:

Unravel the mysteries of blockchains

Blockchain technologies are disrupting some of the world’s biggest industries. Blockchain For Dummies provides a fast way to catch up with the essentials of this quickly evolving tech. Written by an author involved in founding and analyzing blockchain solutions, this book serves to help those who need to understand what a blockchain can do (and can’t do).

This revised edition walks you through how a blockchainsecurely records data across independent networks. It offers a tour of some of the world’s best-known blockchains, including those that power Bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies. It also provides a glance at how blockchain solutions are affecting the worlds of finance, supply chain management, insurance, and governments.

  • Get a clear picture of what a blockchain can do
  • Learn how blockchains rule cryptocurrency and smart contracts
  • Discover current blockchains and how each of them work
  • Test blockchain apps

Blockchain has become the critical buzzword in the world of financial technology and transaction security — and now you can make sense of it with the help of this essential guide.

Building Real-World Big Data Systems on Azure HDInsight Using the Hadoop Ecosystem

Book Description:

Get a jump start on using Azure HDInsight and Hadoop Ecosystem components. As most Hadoop and Big Data projects are written in either Java, Scala, or Python, this book minimizes the effort to learn another language and is written from the perspective of a .NET developer. Hadoop components are covered, including Hive, Pig, HBase, Storm, and Spark on Azure HDInsight, and code samples are written in .NET only.

Processing Big Data with Azure HDInsight covers the fundamentals of big data, how businesses are using it to their advantage, and how Azure HDInsight fits into the big data world. This book introduces Hadoop and big data concepts and then dives into creating different solutions with HDInsight and the Hadoop Ecosystem. It covers concepts with real-world scenarios and code examples, making sure you get hands-on experience. The best way to utilize this book is to practice while reading. After reading this book you will be familiar with Azure HDInsight and how it can be utilized to build big data solutions, including batch processing, stream analytics, interactive processing, and storing and retrieving data in an efficient manner.

What You’ll Learn

  • Understand the fundamentals of HDInsight and Hadoop
  • Work with HDInsight cluster
  • Query with Apache Hive and Apache Pig
  • Store and retrieve data with Apache HBase
  • Stream data processing using Apache Storm
  • Work with Apache Spark
Who This Book Is For

Software developers, technical architects, data scientists/analyts, and Hadoop administrators who want to develop on Microsoft’s managed Hadoop offering, HDInsight

Book Description:

Key Features Build and deploy Tabular Model projects from relational data sources Leverage DAX and create high-performing calculated fields and measures Create ad-hoc reports based on a Tabular Model solution Useful tips to monitor and optimize your tabular solutions Book Description SQL Server Analysis Service (SSAS) has been widely used across multiple businesses to build smart online analytical reporting solutions. It includes two different types of modeling for analysis services: Tabular and Multi Dimensional. This book covers Tabular modeling, which uses tables and relationships with a fast in-memory engine to provide state of the art compression algorithms and query performance. The book begins by quickly taking you through the concepts required to model tabular data and set up the necessary tools and services. As you learn to create tabular models using tools such as Excel and Power View, you’ll be shown various strategies to deploy your model on the server and choose a query mode (In-memory or DirectQuery) that best suits your reporting needs. You’ll also learn how to implement key and newly introduced DAX functions to create calculated columns and measures for your model data. Last but not least, you’ll be shown techniques that will help you administer and secure your BI implementation along with some widely used tips and tricks to optimize your reporting solution. By the end of this book, you’ll have gained hands-on experience with the powerful new features that have been added to Tabular models in SSAS 2016 and you’ll be able to improve user satisfaction with faster reports and analytical queries. What you will learn Learn all about Tabular services mode and how it speeds up development Build solutions using sample datasets Explore built-in actions and transitions in SSAS 2016 Implement row-column, and role-based security in a Tabular Data model Realize the benefits of in-memory and DirectQuery deployment

Book Description:

This handbook offers comprehensive coverage of recent advancements in Big Data technologies and related paradigms.  Chapters are authored by international leading experts in the field, and have been reviewed and revised for maximum reader value. The volume consists of twenty-five chapters organized into four main parts. Part one covers the fundamental concepts of Big Data technologies including data curation mechanisms, data models, storage models, programming models and programming platforms. It also dives into the details of implementing Big SQL query engines and big stream processing systems.  Part Two focuses on the semantic aspects of Big Data management including data integration and exploratory ad hoc analysis in addition to structured querying and pattern matching techniques.  Part Three presents a comprehensive overview of large scale graph processing. It covers the most recent research in large scale graph processing platforms, introducing several scalable graph querying and mining mechanisms in domains such as social networks.  Part Four details novel applications that have been made possible by the rapid emergence of Big Data technologies such as Internet-of-Things (IOT), Cognitive Computing and SCADA Systems.  All parts of the book discuss open research problems, including potential opportunities, that have arisen from the rapid progress of Big Data technologies and the associated increasing requirements of application domains.
Designed for researchers, IT professionals and graduate students, this book is a timely contribution to the growing Big Data field. Big Data has been recognized as one of leading emerging technologies that will have a major contribution and impact on the various fields of science and varies aspect of the human society over the coming decades. Therefore, the content in this book will be an essential tool to help readers understand the development and future of the field.

Designing and Building Big Data Systems using the Hadoop Ecosystem

Book Description:

Learn advanced analytical techniques and leverage existing toolkits to make your analytic applications more powerful, precise, and efficient. This book provides the right combination of architecture, design, and implementation information to create analytical systems which go beyond the basics of classification, clustering, and recommendation.

In Pro Hadoop Data Analytics best practices are emphasized to ensure coherent, efficient development. A complete example system will be developed using standard third-party components which will consist of the toolkits, libraries, visualization and reporting code, as well as support glue to provide a working and extensible end-to-end system.

The book emphasizes four important topics:

    • The importance of end-to-end, flexible, configurable, high-performance data pipeline systems with analytical components as well as appropriate visualization results.

Best practices and structured design principles. This will include strategic topics as well as the how to example portions.

    • The importance of mix-and-match or hybrid systems, using different analytical components in one application to accomplish application goals. The hybrid approach will be prominent in the examples.

Use of existing third-party libraries is key to effective development. Deep dive examples of the functionality of some of these toolkits will be showcased as you develop the example system.

What You’ll Learn

    • The what, why, and how of building big data analytic systems with the Hadoop ecosystem
    • Libraries, toolkits, and algorithms to make development easier and more effective
    • Best practices to use when building analytic systems with Hadoop, and metrics to measure performance and efficiency of components and systems
    • How to connect to standard relational databases, noSQL data sources, and more

Useful case studies and example components which assist you in creating your own systems

Who This Book Is For

Software engineers, architects, and data scientists with an interest in the design and implementation of big data analytical systems using Hadoop, the Hadoop ecosystem, and other associated technologies.

Technology, Architecture, and Innovation

Book Description:

Learn various commercial and open source products that perform SQL on Big Data platforms. You will understand the architectures of the various SQL engines being used and how the tools work internally in terms of execution, data movement, latency, scalability, performance, and system requirements.

This book consolidates in one place solutions to the challenges associated with the requirements of speed, scalability, and the variety of operations needed for data integration and SQL operations. After discussing the history of the how and why of SQL on Big Data, the book provides in-depth insight into the products, architectures, and innovations happening in this rapidly evolving space.

SQL on Big Data discusses in detail the innovations happening, the capabilities on the horizon, and how they solve the issues of performance and scalability and the ability to handle different data types. The book covers how SQL on Big Data engines are permeating the OLTP, OLAP, and Operational analytics space and the rapidly evolving HTAP systems.

You will learn the details of:

Batch Architectures

      ―an understanding of the internals and how the existing Hive engine is built and how it is evolving continually to support new features and provide lower latency on queries

    • Interactive Architectures―an understanding of how SQL engines are architected to support low latency on large data sets

Streaming Architectures

    ―an understanding of how SQL engines are architected to support queries on data in motion using in-memory and lock-free data structures

  • Operational Architectures―an understanding of how SQL engines are architected for transactional and operational systems to support transactions on Big Data platforms
  • Innovative Architectures―an exploration of the rapidly evolving newer SQL engines on Big Data with innovative ideas and concepts

Changing the Way You Attract, Acquire, Develop, and Retain Talent

Book Description:

Apply predictive analytics throughout all stages of workforce management

People Analytics in the Era of Big Data provides a blueprint for leveraging your talent pool through the use of data analytics. Written by the Global Vice President of Business Intelligence and Predictive Analytics at Monster Worldwide, this book is packed full of actionable insights to help you source, recruit, acquire, engage, retain, promote, and manage the exceptional talent your organization needs. With a unique approach that applies analytics to every stage of the hiring process and the entire workforce planning and management cycle, this informative guide provides the key perspective that brings analytics into HR in a truly useful way.

You’re already inundated with disparate employee data, so why not mine that data for insights that add value to your organization and strengthen your workforce? This book presents a practical framework for real-world talent analytics, backed by groundbreaking examples of workforce analytics in action across the U.S., Canada, Europe, Asia, and Australia.

  • Leverage predictive analytics throughout the hiring process
  • Utilize analytics techniques for more effective workforce management
  • Learn how people analytics benefits organizations of all sizes in various industries
  • Integrate analytics into HR practices seamlessly and thoroughly

Corporate executives need fact-based insights into what will happen with their talent. Who should you hire? Who should you promote? Who are the top or bottom performers, and why? Who is at risk to quit, and why? Analytics can provide these answers, and give you insights based on quantifiable data instead of gut feeling and subjective assessment. People Analytics in the Era of Big Data is the essential guide to optimizing your workforce with the tools already at your disposal.

Using SMART Big Data, Analytics and Metrics To Make Better Decisions and Improve Performance

Book Description:

Convert the promise of big data into real world results

There is so much buzz around big data. We all need to know what it is and how it works – that much is obvious. But is a basic understanding of the theory enough to hold your own in strategy meetings? Probably. But what will set you apart from the rest is actually knowing how to USE big data to get solid, real-world business results – and putting that in place to improve performance.Big Data will give you a clear understanding, blueprint, and step-by-step approach to building your own big data strategy. This is a well-needed practical introduction to actually putting the topic into practice. Illustrated with numerous real-world examples from a cross section of companies and organisations, Big Data will take you through the five steps of the SMART model: Start with Strategy, Measure Metrics and Data, Apply Analytics, Report Results, Transform.

  • Discusses how companies need to clearly define what it is they need to know
  • Outlines how companies can collect relevant data and measure the metrics that will help them answer their most important business questions
  • Addresses how the results of big data analytics can be visualised and communicated to ensure key decisions-makers understand them
  • Includes many high-profile case studies from the author’s work with some of the world’s best known brands

A guide to effective Big Data analytics

Book Description:

Bridge the gap between data and decision.

Big Data has brought about a revolution in the way we do business. Essential business decisions can today be informed by the wealth of data now at our disposal. However, while Big Data may appear to be the answer to every business problem, for many, gaining real value from data – gaining business insights is a difficult task. Big Data, for many, is a big problem itself, with many struggling to reap the rewards that it promises. In this accessible and stimulating guide, Sudhi Sinha, management, technology and sustainability expert, provides a unique perspective on Big Data and how to derive maximum value from it – with sharp and careful analytics.

“this is a perfect starter for any manager who wants to understand and explore Big Data… The Big Data field is evolving quickly, and this book serves as a quick and practical introduction to the field.”
AnHai Doan, Professor, University of Wisconsin; Chief Scientist at WalmartLabs USA

This insightful and engaging book demonstrates that Big Data, to be most effective, needs to be weaved within the fabric of organization strategy. Without it, you are simply left with numbers and statistics, lacking purpose – lacking potency. Beginning with the essential stage of building a strategy framework for you Big Data analytics project, and integrating it within your wider business strategy, Sudhi provides you with the knowledge and insight to help you build a big data strategy that gets results.

Big data is one of the biggest buzzwords in the world of business today. And while it is true that it has opened up huge opportunities for businesses of all sizes, it is nevertheless difficult for many businesses to turn the reserves of numbers and statistics at their disposal into clear insights that can inform important business decisions. Beginning with the creation of a Big Data strategy and the identification of the key opportunities that it has the potential to unlock, the book will then demonstrate how to implement and manage your project with the best team and the right technology for your needs. Once this is in place you will then find out how to get the most from your Big Data insights, with effective organizational alignment and change management.

Book Description:

This book introduces two basic big data processing paradigms for batch data and streaming data. Representative programming frameworks are also presented, as well as software defined networking (SDN) and network function virtualization (NFV) technologies as key cloud networking technologies.

The authors illustrate that SDN and NFV can be applied to benefit the big data processing by proposing a cloud networking framework. Based on the framework, two case studies examine how to improve the cost efficiency of big data processing.

Cloud Networking for Big Data

targets professionals and researchers working in big data, networks, wireless communications and information technology. Advanced-level students studying computer science and electrical engineering will also find this book valuable as a study guide.

69 practical recipes to analyze multidimensional data stored in SSAS 2012 cubes, using high-performance MDX calculations and flexible MDX queries

Book Description:

MDX is the BI industry standard for multidimensional calculations and queries. Proficiency with this language is essential for the realization of your Analysis Services’ full potential. MDX is an elegant and powerful language, and also has a steep learning curve. SQL Server 2012 Analysis Services has introduced a new BISM tabular model and a new formula language, Data Analysis Expressions (DAX). However, for the multi-dimensional model, MDX is still the only query and expression language. For many product developers and report developers, MDX is the preferred language for both the tabular model and multi-dimensional model.

MDX with SSAS 2012 Cookbook is a must-have book for anyone who wants to be proficient in the MDX language and to enhance their business intelligence solutions.

MDX with SSAS 2012 Cookbook is packed with immediately usable, practical solutions. It starts with elementary techniques that lay the foundation for designing advanced MDX calculations and queries. The discussions after each solution will provide you with a solid foundation and best practices. It covers a broad range of real-world topics and solutions and provides you with learning materials to become proficient in the language.

This book will guide you through the hands-on and practical MDX solutions, best practices, and many intricacies that hide within the MDX calculations and queries.

We will start by working with sets, creating time-aware, context-aware calculations, and business analytics solutions, through to the techniques of enhancing the cube design when MDX is not enough. We will then move on to capturing MDX generated by SSAS front-ends and using SSAS stored procedures, and we will explore the whole range of MDX solutions for real-world BI projects.

What you will learn from this book

  • Create time-aware calculations that are relative to the current date
  • Construct context-aware calculations that are relative to members on axes
  • Implement business-related calculations such as forecasting, allocation of values, and ABC analysis
  • Combine MDX with utility dimensions
  • Implement error handling
  • Apply AND, OR, NOT logic
  • Conditionally format your MDX calculations
  • Optimize, dissect, and debug MDX calculations and queries
  • Capture MDX generated by SSAS front-ends
  • Register SSAS-related assemblies and use stored procedures in them