Learn Data Mining with SQL Server Analysis Services from Rafal who has been using it professionally for well over a decade until its recent deprecation. 9 modules with 8 hours of in-depth learning, jam-packed with detailed demos. You will study: Cases, Models, Mining Algorithms, Model Training, Holdout, Testing Model Validity, Predictive Use and Model Scoring, Decision Trees, Clustering, Association Rules, Market Basket Analysis, and more.
We focus on the older but fast, easy-to-use, and highly visual Data Mining components of SQL Server Analysis Services Multidimensional and Data Mining. Whilst it has been deprecated in SQL Server 2017 and 2019 it is still available in those editions. If you are planning on learning data mining, you may find it quite useful, because it is simpler and more visual than its successors, the Machine Learning Services in SQL Server 2017 and 2019. However, if you are thinking of using it in production, you would be well advised to continue your learning path using the newer technologies.
Four videos, Introduction to Data Mining, What Are Decision Trees, Why Cluster and Segment Data, and What is Market Basket Analysis? are free. The remaining ones require a subscription, which will also give you access to download our educational data set, Happy Cars, so that you can practice the demos on your own.
You can obtain SQL Server Developer Edition at no cost from the free Microsoft Visual Studio Dev Essentials programme. You will also need a current version of the free SQL Server Data Tools that includes the SQL Server Analysis Services project templates. It uses the Visual Studio Community (or paid) Edition and version 2017 works well (so do the older)—get it from the Dev Essentials programme, too.