the data miner

                          SQL  Server Data  Mining  News
     November 2005





Welcome to the November 2005 issue of 'The Data Miner' - the official newsletter of SQL Server Data Mining. This periodic newsletter keeps you up-to-date with the latest happenings in the SQL Server Data Mining world and gives you useful tips to help you get the most from SQL Server Data Mining.


In This Issue (click topic to go directly to it):

  a.. SQL Server 2005 Is READY!

  b.. Zen And The Art Of Clustering

  c.. Plug Into SQL Server Data Mining

  d.. Mining The Flow

  e.. Data Mining Components In SQL Server 2005 Feature Pack Download

  f.. SQL Server 2005 FAQ At SQLServerDataMining.Com

  g.. PDC Presentation On Smart Client Applications Available Online

  h.. Talk to us (in public)

SQL Server 2005 Is READY!
Yup, it's OFFICIAL! SQL Server 2005 was released to manufacturing at the end of October and it was officially launched on November 7 in San Francisco.  



The SQL Server Data Mining team would like to take this opportunity to thank all of you folks - our early adopters -  for your support and feedback. You helped us ship a world-class product that we're really proud of, one that we know will change the face of the data mining industry. 



The final product will be making its way to the retail channel over the next couple of months, but it's already available for immediate download to MSDN subscribers. There will be scores of additional launch events in cities across the US and the rest of the world over the next month, so you can try and catch one of those if you weren't able to make it to SFO.



For more information about the SQL Server 2005 launch, visit www.microsoft.com/sql.

Zen And The Art Of Clustering
Sure, implementing a good clustering algorithm can be an art but we've taken clustering to a whole new aesthetic level. Check out the new live sample "The Art Of Clustering" at SQLServerDataMining.com - it lets you draw your own elliptical clusters and play with various algorithm parameters to see how the Microsoft Clustering algorithm works. As a side benefit, you also get to generate some cool artwork for your office walls. Give it a shot.

Plug Into SQL Server Data Mining
SQL Server 2005 Data Mining has an extensible framework that allows independent software developers to easily integrate new data mining algorithms and viewers into the product. The product team has provided in-depth technical articles, tutorials as well as sample source code for building "plug-in" algorithms and viewers. What was missing was a high-level overview of the technology that explains the benefits and overall architecture. We bring you a sneak preview of an upcoming MSDN article by Raman Iyer called "Plugging Into SQL Server Data Mining" that fills this gap.

Mining The Flow
This month's SQL Server Standard magazine features an article by Jamie MacLennan that shows you how to use transforms in SQL Server 2005 Integration Services to perform data mining operations directly in your operational data flow.

Data Mining Components In SQL Server 2005 Feature Pack Download
The first SQL Server 2005 Feature Pack is now available for free download here. Data Mining users might find the following redistributables useful:

  a.. Microsoft SQL Server 2005 Datamining Viewer Controls - these are the Winform controls for the DM viewers in Business Intelligence Development Studio and SQL Management Studio. You can now embed them in your own applications!

  b.. Microsoft SQL Server 2005 Analysis Services 9.0 OLE DB Provider  - you can use this to install just the AS 2005 OLE DB provider and build local mining models on client machines. Note that MSXML6 (a link for the download is available on the same page) is a prerequisite for the provider.

SQL Server 2005 FAQ At SQLServerDataMining.Com
You can now direct friends, colleagues and customers curious about data mining in SQL Server 2005 to the updated FAQ section at SQLServerDataMining.com - it has been refreshed with a new set of starter questions (and answers) for the SQL Server 2005 launch. The existing SQL Server 2000 FAQ has been moved to the SQL Server 2000 DM section.

PDC Presentation On Smart Client Applications Available Online
Jamie MacLennan and Brian Welcker from the SQL Server team presented a talk on building smart applications like an intelligent call center using SQL Server 2005 Data Mining and Reporting Services at the Microsoft Professional Developers Conference held in LA in September. You can view the PowerPoint presentation here.

Talk to us (in public)
Now that SQL Server 2005 has shipped, the beta newsgroups (microsoft.beta.yukon.analysisservices.datamining and microsoft.private.sqlserver2005.analysisservices.datamining) are closed. Please continue posting your questions and comments to our public newsgroup: microsoft.public.sqlserver.datamining.



We appreciate your feedback on the product.

SQL Server Data Mining Resources
·         SQL Server Data Mining Community Site

·         SQL Server Newsgroups

·         Microsoft SQL Server 2005 Web Site

·         SQL Server Developer’s Center

Back Issues
You can find previous issues (as well as the current edition) of this newsletter here.



Thank you

The SQL Server Data Mining Team



Questions or comments?  E-mail  newslet***@sqlserverdatamining.com.

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