Business Analytics System

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The Business Analytics System provides complete decision support through data warehousing, prediction and data mining, and advanced analysis. You can install Microsoft Commerce Server 2002 to use the Business Analytics System as a stand-alone feature, and you can use it with non-Commerce applications.

The Business Analytics System is divided into three main parts.

This section contains:

  • Data Warehouse. Describes a combination of a SQL Server database, an OLAP database, and a set of processes that a system administrator uses to import a large amount of operational data about site activity. The Commerce Server Data Warehouse stores and manages data in the database for the purpose of business analytics: prediction and data mining, and analysis reporting.
  • Predictor. Describes a powerful data-mining tool that you use to provide predictive capabilities for your Web site, for example, to display product recommendations. You also use the Predictor to analyze the characteristics of the users visiting your site, and discover relationships among the characteristics. You can then use this information to target content to users who have similar characteristics.
  • Analysis Reporting. Provides dozens of reports, enabling to you analyze product sales, Web usage, Web site diagnostics, and so on. It includes features that make reporting easier and faster, for example:
    • The drillthrough feature so you can use the Pivot controls to expose underlying data.
    • The remote access feature so business managers can access the OLAP database through firewalls or proxy servers and run reports.

The following table lists key Commerce Server 2002 Help topics to help you learn more about the Data Warehouse, prediction, and analysis reporting.

To learn about See
Data Warehouse Data Warehouse Concepts

Data Warehouse Configurator

Multiple Sites and One Data Warehouse

Specifying Data to be Imported into the Data Warehouse

Data Warehouse Import Wizard

Importing Data into the Data Warehouse

Scripting DTS Tasks

Extract, Transform, and Load Process for DTS Tasks

Extending the Data Warehouse Logical Schema

Data Warehouse Schema

Data Warehouse, Analysis, and OLE DB Provider
Predictor Predictor Resource Tutorial

Prediction and Data Mining Concepts

Predictor Schema

Running the Predictor Resource
Analysis Reporting Business Desk Analysis

Analysis/Reporting Schema

Analysis/Reporting XML Structures

Creating Custom Reports

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