In-Database Blending for Preparation

Using Alteryx with Microsoft Azure SQL Moving Massive Datasets Causes Problems

When you need to work with large datasets, it is best not to move the data out of its location because:

It’s Resource Intensive Moving large datasets saps network resources and clogs internal networks

It’s Time Consuming The file transfer can take hours and even days

It Can Affect the Chain of Custody Moving data takes it out of systems that track data location and ownership

In-Database Blending for Big Download a FREE trial: alteryx.com/trial So, how can data analysts reduce the time it takes to work with massive datasets and speed up their time to insight?

By blending and preparing datasets in Microsoft Azure SQL Data Warehouse with Alteryx!

In-Database Blending for Big Data Preparation Download a FREE trial: alteryx.com/trial How Can Analysts Unleash the Power of Microsoft Azure SQL Data Warehouse?

Many organizations are turning to the cloud as the most agile way to store and manage the massive volumes of data that drive today’s business decisions.

A powerful solution for this new approach is Azure SQL Data Warehouse, a cloud-based data warehouse. Maximizing its benefits requires an equally agile approach to using the data stored within.

This is why so many data analysts are combining Azure SQL Data Warehouse with Alteryx, a leader in self-service data analytics.

The result: quick, effective insights from cloud data—a critical business advantage.

In-Database Blending for Big Data Preparation Download a FREE trial: alteryx.com/trial Processing Power Made Simple, Scalable and Secure

It’s clear why organizations are using Microsoft Azure SQL Data Warehouse as their cloud solution:

It’s Simple It’s Powerful It’s Scalable It’s Secure Deploy a petabyte- Leverage best in-class, Perform independent Harness industry- scale data warehouse massively parallel scaling of compute and leading, built-in security within seconds processing ability storage in seconds

In-Database Blending for Big Data Preparation Download a FREE trial: alteryx.com/trial In-Database Blending From Alteryx

In many cases, Microsoft Azure SQL Data Warehouse is set up as a repository for massive amounts of data. In-database processing enables blending and analysis of large sets of data without moving the data out of Azure SQL Data Warehouse. This can provide significant performance improvements and deeper insights over traditional approaches, which require data to be moved into a separate environment for processing or force a user to only leverage a subset of the entire dataset.

• Use the full computing power of the Data Warehouse to manipulate data

• Convert an Alteryx workflow into a series of SQL commands that are executed in the Data Warehouse

In-Database Blending for Big Data Preparation Download a FREE trial: alteryx.com/trial Blending Alteryx can stream data from outside sources—including structured data from cloud sources, such as Salesforce.com; External Data on-premise databases, such as SAP; or desktop files, such as spreadsheets—into Microsoft Azure SQL Data Warehouse for in-database preparation and blending of the data.

This helps analysts:

• Gain even more context around key business challenges

• Access the most up-to-date information

• Take advantage of Azure SQL Data Warehouse processing power to perform data blending and get fast results

In-Database Blending for Big Data Preparation Download a FREE trial: alteryx.com/trial In-Database Tools = Maximum Convenience

Alteryx offers a wide range of data prep, blending, and analysis tools to create the analytic datasets needed for solving specific business challenges. This includes 12 in-database tools to make the most of data residing in Microsoft Azure SQL Data Warehouse.

Key in-database tools include:

Connect In-DB Tool: Select In-DB Tool: Data Stream In Tool: Join In-DB Tool: Data Stream Out Tool: Connect to Azure Eliminate unnecessary Stream data into Azure Combine data streams Feed downstream SQL Data Warehouse fields or rename key fields SQL Data Warehouse based on common fields analytic processes or other databases, from a variety of such as SQL Server external sources

In-Database Blending for Big Data Preparation Download a FREE trial: alteryx.com/trial How It Works: Blending Data in Microsoft Azure SQL DataWarehouse

1. The user creates a data workflow by selecting tools using the Alteryx drag-and-drop interface.

2. These selections are translated into SQL commands, which are understood by Azure SQL Data Warehouse.

3. Azure SQL Data Warehouse performs the specified blending commands.

L Paired with Azure SQL Data Warehouse, Alteryx can perform this process on years’ R worth of clickstreams, customer data, and even social media and customer support This workflow shows two calls—massive amounts of data brought together and analyzed for a better picture of tables/datasets being the customer purchase cycle. joined using the Alteryx in- database join function

In-Database Blending for Big Data Preparation Download a FREE trial: alteryx.com/trial Example:

A sales analyst needs to filter transactions from Direct connection to Azure SQL Filter In-DB and Summarize In-DB Data Warehouse is made with the Formula In-DB tools counts the number billions of store transaction Connect In-DB tool to access more than are used to remove of records. records and retain them 10 billion lines of store transaction data. outliers and noisy data in Microsoft Azure SQL Data Warehouse as the approved and blended data source for the organization. The clean data is retained in Azure SQL Data Warehouse using the Write In-DB tool, ready for advanced analytics or visualization.

In-Database Blending for Big Data Preparation Download a FREE trial: alteryx.com/trial How It Works: Shaping Data Without Moving It

To Cut Excess Data via the Alteryx Workflow: Use the Select tool to remove columns or rows of unnecessary data from the clickstream dataset. The original data is unaffected, and the new joined dataset is now much more agile and focused. Using the same drag-and-drop interface plus Microsoft Azure SQL Data Warehouse processing power, Alteryx can perform other and shaping functions, such as:

• Removing null values or calculating values

• Reordering or renaming columns Select In-DB Tool This makes the data easier to analyze and convey to other analytic processes.

In-Database Blending for Big Data Preparation Download a FREE trial: alteryx.com/trial Applying Advanced Analytics In-Database

Alteryx provides more than 55 predictive tools and 15 spatial tools to perform advanced predictive and geospatial analytics. In various combinations, these tools can be used for insights such as:

• Predicting customer churn

• Determining key service attributes, such as on-time delivery, in-stock/out-of-stock products and lowest price

• Identifying the most profitable location for a retail outlet

In-Database Blending for Big Data Preparation Download a FREE trial: alteryx.com/trial Example:

Here, a sales analyst pre- filters data, integrates A direct connection is made to Microsoft Azure SQL Data Warehouse using the Connect In-DB Tool. CRM data, and uses Purchase history (5,000 SKUs) is then filtered in Azure predictive score modeling SQL Data Warehouse with the Filter In-DB tool. to determine geographic impact on high-volume product purchases.

CRM data is streamed into The new dataset is returned to desktop Azure SQL Data Warehouse with the using the Data Stream Out tool. Data Stream In tool, then joined with Location and predictive score modeling SKU data using the Join In-DB tool. is done in-memory with Alteryx.

In-Database Blending for Big Data Preparation Download a FREE trial: alteryx.com/trial Making the Results Available for Further Analysis

Once they create a dataset, analysts have many options for analysis, including: • Keeping it in Microsoft Azure SQL Data Warehouse for analytic access • Saving the results in-database in a format ready for a visualization engine • Using the results in Alteryx for advanced geospatial analytics

Alteryx supports visualization tools, such as Microsoft Power BI, and can output results in the appropriate file format, either directly launching these tools or by storing the results back in Azure SQL Data Warehouse for direct access using the integration of Azure SQL Data Warehouse with Power BI. Alteryx can also shape and trim data to make it ready for access by new analytics processes.

In-Database Blending for Big Data Preparation Download a FREE trial: alteryx.com/trial Microsoft Azure SQL Data Warehouse and Alteryx: A Powerful, Scalable Analytics Solution

The combination of Azure SQL Data Warehouse and Alteryx delivers deeper business insights in hours—not weeks—for better, more agile decision-making. Data Analysts are Empowered to:

• Take full advantage of Azure SQL Data Warehouse for cloud-based processing power, scalable compute, and decoupled storage • Blend data from the Data Warehouse with data from multiple sources through Alteryx’s intuitive workflow • Generate perfect datasets quickly for better advanced analytics • Apply advanced analytics, such as predictive and geo-spatial analytics, in a simple drag-and-drop interface

In-Database Blending for Big Data Preparation Download a FREE trial: alteryx.com/trial Learn More About How Alteryx and Microsoft Azure SQL Data Warehouse Provide Code-Free Blending of Big Datasets

Download a 14-Day FREE Trial of Alteryx www.alteryx.com/trial »

See how Azure SQL Data Warehouse and Alteryx work together Microsoft/Alteryx partner page »

In-Database Blending for Big Data Preparation Download a FREE trial: alteryx.com/trial