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Gemini CTP2 Install Experience and Overview
Posted by denglishbi on August 29, 2009
It took me a while, but I tracked down the online links and filled out the survey to get access to the CTP2 release of Gemini known as ‘SQL Server 2008 R2 August CTP and “Gemini” Add-in’. I also signed up for the CTP3 Gemini Preview.
Here are the screenshots of the install and a quick demo of using the Excel add-in:
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| Notice the new Add-ins being loaded when Excel 2010 is launched | Message that is displayed to request permissions to install the new Add-in | Notice the new Gemini section in the toolbar and that the circular Office button in the top left has been replaced with a new rectangular tab |
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| Gemini items available in the Ribbon | Version information and feedback options | New Windows opens up when you are going to load & prepare the data |
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| Gemini Client Window Home Ribbon options – notice the new icon in the top left | Gemini Client Window Column Tools Ribbon options | Import wizard to get data from database |
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| Setup the connection to database server and database (using Project REAL Warehouse Sample database) | Select the source tables and you can chose the option to select related tables and preview/filter the data also | Once you are done you will get the import summary (selected the date, store, item dimension tables, and the fact store inventory table) |
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| Import progress, notice that the fact table is already displaying more than 2 million rows! | Each source table is pulled into separate worksheets in the Gemini Client Window – almost 4 million fact records! | Create relationships between the tables once they are imported |
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| Progress of the relationship being created | Ability to manage the relationships (view them, add new ones, and delete them) | Now you are ready to start working with the data and create a PivotTable or PivotChart within the Excel Workbook that you initially created |
That is a quick overview of the install process and a walkthrough of getting the data established with the new Gemini Add-in. The data that I used for this example was from the Project REAL Reference Implementation.
For additional information in regards to Gemini take a look at some of these areas:
