Data Mining in SQL Server Management Studio

SQL Server Management Studio provides an environment for managing and working with data mining models that already exist in an Analysis Services database. You can perform the following tasks by using Management Studio:

  • Process data mining model objects
  • Browse data mining models
  • Script data mining objects
  • Create prediction queries
  • Delete data mining objects from the database

Each of these tasks is described in more detail in the following sections.

Processing Data Mining Objects

You can process both mining structure objects and mining model objects in Management Studio. For more information about processing options, see Processing Data Mining Objects.

You can use the following methods to process mining model objects:

  • Right-click the Mining Structures folder in Object Explorer, and then select Process Mining Structures. The Process Object(s) dialog box opens to display all the mining structures that the database contains. Within this dialog box you can select the mining structures to process and specify how they should be processed.
  • Right-click a specific mining structure within the Mining Structures folder in Object Explorer, and then select Process. The Process Mining Structure - <structure> dialog box opens to display the selected mining structure. Within this dialog box you can specify how the mining structure is processed.
  • Right-click the Mining Models folder within a specific mining structure in the Mining Structures folder in Object Explorer, and then select Process Mining Models. The Process Object(s) dialog box opens to display all the mining models that the database contains. Within this dialog box you can select the mining models to process and specify how they should be processed.
  • Right-click a specific mining model within the Mining Models folder of a specific Mining Structure folder in Object Explorer, and then select Process. The Process Mining Model - <model> dialog box opens to display the selected mining model. Within this dialog box you can specify how the mining model is processed.

Browsing Data Mining Models

You can access the mining model viewers within Management Studio from either a mining structure or a mining model. Management Studio uses the same viewers that are available in Business Intelligence Development Studio.

For More Information:Viewing a Data Mining Model, Mining Model Viewer Tab How-to Topics

To access a viewer, right-click either a mining model object or a mining structure object within the database, and select Browse. By default, if you open the viewer from the mining structure, the viewer opens the first model that the structure contains. On the other hand, by default if you open the viewer from a mining model, the viewer opens to the selected mining model. Regardless of the path by which you reach the viewer, you can then switch between models to view any model within the corresponding mining structure, by using the Mining Model drop-down list box above the toolbar on the viewer.

Scripting Data Mining Objects

You can use Management Studio to script ALTER, CREATE, and DELETE actions on data mining objects to XML for Analysis (XMLA). For example, you can script these actions if you want to re-create objects on one server that exist on another server, or to create a script to quickly remove objects from a server.

The following table describes the results of these script actions for a mining structure object and a mining model object.

Action Mining Structure Mining Model

CREATE

Recreates the specified mining structure and all its associated mining models.

Recreates the specified mining model and its associated mining structure.

ALTER

Adds all the mining models that are contained within the specified mining structure to a mining structure of the same name.

Adds the specified mining model to a mining structure with the same name as the structure that contains the specified mining model.

DELETE

Removes the specified structure and all its associated mining models from the database.

Removes the mining model, together with its associated mining structure, from the database.

Management Studio can open the new script in the query editor, save the script to a file, or copy the script to the Clipboard.

For More Information:Documenting and Scripting an Analysis Services Database, XML for Analysis (XMLA)

Creating Predicting Queries

You can use Management Studio to create Data Mining Extensions (DMX) prediction queries with Prediction Query Builder. To open Prediction Query Builder, right-click either a mining structure or a mining model, and then click Build Prediction Query.

For More Information: Using the Prediction Query Builder to Create DMX Prediction Queries

You can also use Prediction Query Builder in Management Studio to work with DMX.

For More Information:Creating DMX Queries in SQL Server Management Studio, Data Mining Extensions (DMX) Reference

See Also

Concepts

Data Mining Designer
Using the Data Mining Tools
Data Mining Concepts

Help and Information

Getting SQL Server 2005 Assistance