Roadmap to Creating PowerPivot Workbooks in Excel

A PowerPivot for SharePoint server processes PowerPivot data in Excel workbooks published to a SharePoint farm. To create the PowerPivot data, you must have Excel 2010, the PowerPivot for Excel add-in, and external or local data to import into the PowerPivot window.

PowerPivot for Excel is installed with online help that includes information about supported data sources, tutorials, and instructions for adding, enriching, and using PowerPivot data. It also includes reference documentation for the Data Analysis Expressions Language (DAX).

To get started with the tutorial, do the following:

  1. Install the PowerPivot add-in to Excel 2010. For instructions, see Install PowerPivot for Excel (SQL Server Books Online)

  2. Install the sample data. For instructions, go to this Codeplex web site. The sample data is used in PowerPivot tutorials and in many of the Data Analysis Expressions (DAX) Language reference topics. You can also use this data as you explore PowerPivot features on your own.

  3. Open "Tutorial: Create your first PowerPivot workbook" in the PowerPivot online help or on this PowerPivot web site to create a workbook that contains PowerPivot data.