Xpert BI Modules

Extract & Ingest

Moving data into your data platform have never been easier.

Speed up the process of extracting data from any application and loading it into an intuitive relational model. The Ingest-module preserves metadata from the data sources thus avoiding unnecessary loss of data quality. The Ingest-module has an easy to use GUI that simplifies the work.

Whatever the data source, use Xpert BI to automate extraction of data from Azure Data Lake Storage gen2, databases, APIs, and file types, and load data into destinations such as SQL Server on Managed Instance, Azure SQL, Azure Data Lake Storage gen 2, Azure Synapse Analytics and Snowflake*, just by a few clicks.

*Support for Snowflake from 2021

Automate data extract and ingest

Xpert BI is a metadata-driven tool that automates the data extraction and ingestion process when building a data warehouse, data lake, or a data platform. This setup can be done in just a few minutes and enables incredibly efficient data ingestion.

Built-in patterns and best practices

The tool includes a best-practice architecture and methodology to ensure high-quality solutions. Data is stored in different layers, from raw to curated, and modeled to fit the organizational reporting and analytic needs.

Flexible data processing options

Configurations include a range of filter options, incremental and delta loads, windowed loads, history tracking, and more. Data can be loaded into the destination of your choice amongst; SQL Server, Azure Managed Instance, Azure Synapse, and Azure Data Lake.

Transform & Serve

Optimized performance with a metadata driven solution

Allow any type of transformation, be it views, tables, stored procedures or functions to be created, added and edited using standard SQL while Xpert BI automatically maintains and documents the dependency structure. The Transform module supports complete virtual solutions using views, but also manages all materializations when and where necessary. This gives high data quality and optimized execution performance. The developer has full control of both code and business logic, Xpert BI has full control of the complex dependency structures as well as detecting design errors such as loops, missing keys and code errors.

The intelligent pattern-based model-builder will automatically detect/suggest dimension and fact table candidates and automate the view generation, which can be further enhanced and edited by the developer.

The transform module uses the database metadata to automatically create and maintain the Analysis Services Tabular models. The model can be deployed either on premises or in Azure Analysis Services.

Soon - Use the best of both worlds: Transform currently supports any SQL code editor. In the near future, it will be compatible with Azure Data Factory, meaning you no longer have to use considerable development time to code, test, and maintain a custom automation framework for Azure Data Factory. Instead, you get a flying start and can instantly work according to best practices.

End-to-end lineage

Complete data lineage on both table and column level from data source, through all data transformation layers, to your reports. This gives users and developers full traceability both from a top-down and bottom-up perspective.

Intelligent processing enables fast throughput of data

An intelligent processing engine where developers work on a high level of abstraction and configure update schedules based on fact-and-dimension data model level. Xpert BI finds all executable objects in the dependency and executes on the most efficient order.

Augmented development - get the most out of your resources

Automation, standardization, and built-in documentation enable your developers to focus on value-adding activities implementing business requirements, rather than time-consuming maintenance tasks such as troubleshooting queries and execution plans.

Flexible Azure Infrastructure

We support a wide range of Azure data platform components

Tomorrow’s data platform is more than just the traditional data warehouse. The amount of data needed for decision support and analysis is continuously growing and organizations need to design architectures that are flexible to handle the current and future needs of the organization.

In addition to the data warehouse, the architecture must cover data lakes and data hubs, and be open for data sharing, machine learning, and advanced analytics.

With Xpert BI you don't have to make all the architecture choices upfront, but rather can let your data platform evolve with changing needs.

You can combine and switch between the Azure technologies with a simple configuration in Xpert BI. Even after going into production. That's what we call full flexibility.

Supported infrastructure technologies:

On premises SQL Server
Azure SQL on Managed Instance
Azure Analysis Services
Azure Data Lake Storage gen 2
Azure Synapse Analytics
Snowflake*

You can even "mix & match" the various options, and still get automation and end-to-end data lineage.

*Support for Snowflake from 2021

Data lake? Data warehouse? Data Hub? Full flexibility.

Deploy to a wide range of storage and processing architectures in Azure to implement your data lake, data warehouse and data hub. Xpert BI supports Azure SQL Managed Instance, Azure Data Lake Storage gen2 and Azure Synapse Analytics. And combine them as you like.

Automation for Azure? Avoid re-inventing the wheel.

Using Xpert BI there is no longer a need for designing your own custom automation framework for you Azure Data Platform. Xpert BI is automation out-of-the-box.

Proven productivity gains with automation.

According to Gartner(c) research, each developer will be 4 times more productive, on average, when using data warehouse automation than when using standard ETL/ELT tools.

Solution Catalog

Foster a data-driven culture: Transparency, compliance and easy access to documentation and traceability.

With a powerful search engine and a web-based interface, your entire organization can search for and find relevant documentation. The Solution Catalog is one place to find all documentation with complete data lineage from Power BI report to the data source, even through the ETL processes.

Key data governance capabilities include showing the complete data lineage of where data is coming from and data classification (called tagging) is out-of-the box functionality. Define your own tags (classification, GDPR, data ownership, domain), apply tags to columns at the raw data layer and the tags are automatically propagated throughout the entire solution, connected to the tagged column, even to your Power BI reports. This gives full control and management of where tagged data is used. Enabling transparency and accessible data definitions are fundamental factors in order to trust the data presented in an analysis or decision basis.

Having Solution Catalog as an add-on to Power BI unlocks complete data linage from source to report. It will structure all relevant metadata from your entire Power BI service into user-friendly readable format with objects and hierarchies of apps, workspaces, reports, pages and visualizations, tables, columns and measures. And you can explain and document every object.

The Xpert BI Solution Catalog supports data lineage on the following technology components; SQL Server and Azure Managed Instance, Azure Data Lake Storage Gen 2 (ADLS), Azure Synapse Analytics, SQL Server Analysis Services Tabular and Multidim (SSAS), Power BI and Tableau*, with more being developed as you are reading this. Additionally, Solution Catalog shows if data is exported to other platforms, files or APIs.

*Tableau 2021

SolCat_supportedTech

Easy to use catalog with a web-based interface

With a powerful search engine and a web-based interface, any user with access rights can search and find relevant documentation. It provides one place to find all documentation regarding the whole data platform.

Live documentation is always up to date

The documentation and end-to-end data lineage are built automatically by using active metadata. Therefore it will always be up to date and reflect the actual implementation. No more outdated excel spread sheets and word documents.

Add value to your Power BI investments

Master data

Supporting your organization's master data initiatives

Strong Master Data Management governance drive greater consistency and accuracy of data, which will be an asset when aiming for world class operations. Without proper governance, there is limited accountability and ownership of data, which creates compliance risk as well higher expenses and lost revenue.

The Xpert BI Master Data module integrates with Microsoft MDS where you can define Models, Entities and Attributes using metadata from existing DWH objects, configure data loads both into MDS and data loads (subscription views) from MDS.

DataOps

Improve delivery of qualified data to your reporting and analytics teams in your organization

The DataOps module focus on metadata quality, data quality and data model quality throughout the development cycle and data flows.

Unit testing, regression testing and data quality testing are often down-prioritized activities in a data warehouse and data platform solution. As new data continuously flows though the system in a higher and higher speed, being subject to business rules for integrations and data modelling, calculations and KPIs, the importance of testing increases.

Xpert BI has templates for data quality tests with suggested tests for your different data models, and automatically writes the test code to drive test-culture in your development teams. Complex and specific tests can also be made, with a unit test approach.

Test automation & anomaly detection

A built-in test automation framework helps increases the data quality and stability. It can help you proactively detect data quality issues and anomalies before it reaches the end user.

Collaborate between business units & IT

Built-in functionality to capture business documentation for data early in the development process. Documentation is available for all down-stream use.

Compare data with Unit tests and regression tests

Xpert BI DataOps enables testing on all levels and support a range of query languages. This means you can use both SQL, DAX and MDX as well as constants in data comparisons, and schedule this with your daily loads or migration loads.

Data Sources

Move any data source into your data platform with Xpert BI.

Xpert BI enables automation using metadata throughout the entire extract and ingest process. This means that you can ingest data from any type of data source without coding. Through simple configuration you can chose from a range of destination options for all your data layers.

Import from any database system

Automate extraction and ingestion of any database: ERP, CRM, or Line-of-Business application on premises or in the cloud.

REST/SOAP API

Ingest data from SaaS applications and/or external data providers through APIS. Supporting Oauth, JSON/XML, invoking with variables.

ADLS or File system

Flexible and streamlined process for importing data from files either from your file system or azure data lake. Supports complex file and storage structures, regular flat files, excel etc.

Data Consumption

Empower all your data consumers with qualified data

Data is used throughout the organization by both people and systems. With Xpert BI you can have one version of the truth to all data consumers. You can use any visualization tool and connect to any data layer from raw data to modeled data, from database access to data as a service or even file based data sharing.

The Xpert BI data platform has a proven stability and data quality and our customers also use it as a hub/source for chat bots, RPA processes, system integrations and exports to other technologies such as Google Big Table.

Reports and Analytics with Power BI

Provide qualified, modeled and documented data to your business users. Using Power BI will also ensure end-to-end lineage from data source to report page.

Export data sets

Configure data exports and Xpert BI automates all code for moving data into other databases such as Azure DB, csv files or even into pre-defined REST APIS, such as Google Big Table storage.

Data as a Service with REST APIs

Xpert BI has a built-in REST API generation module, which enables simple configuration of data sharing through APIs. This is perfect when data is needed on demand, such as for app development.

The modern data platform starts with Xpert BI

Xpert BI adds automation to your cloud data platform - no matter your choice of technology components