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Importing SQL Server data into PowerPivot for Excel
This article is part of the March 2011, Vol. 5 issue of SQL Server Insider
Microsoft PowerPivot for Excel 2010 is a data analysis tool that lets you easily import data from SQL Server and other sources into the Excel environment. Because of PowerPivot’s efficient compression algorithms and in-memory analysis, you can import and manage large quantities of data. In addition, PowerPivot uses the VertiPaq engine, a column-based data storage technology from SQL Server Analysis Services that puts the power of multicore processors and gigabytes of memory at your fingertips. As a result, you can process millions of rows of data in the time it used to take to process thousands. And because you’re working within Excel, you can leverage a familiar, user-friendly collection of tools. This is good news for users who want to incorporate complex relational data from SQL Server into analytical calculations within Excel workbooks, which can be integrated into a SharePoint workflow for collaborations efforts. To use PowerPivot, you must be running Microsoft Office 2010 with the PowerPivot add-in installed; for details ...
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