Share

The Data Gods of Magic - The Italians

Christopher Wagner • December 2, 2019

The old gods of DAX and Power BI

LinkedIn Profile Alberto Ferrari: Link

LinkedIn Profile Marco Russo: Link

LinkedIn Company Site: Link

Web Site: Link

Blog: Link


Data God Qualifications:

Alberto and Marco are the Original Power BI GODS. They were there when the magic was born. When the first words of DAX were spoken, they were spoken by Alberto and Marco. Of all of the Data Gods, these two are the Oldest and Most potent.

Should Cthulhu ever break his bonds, I am confident that the Italians would either banish him to the nether realms with a couple of quick DAX statements or sit down with him for a beer and discuss managing the multi-verse and disparate timelines.


Publications

These guys figuratively wrote ALL OF THE BOOKS on DAX, Power BI, Tabular Models... I mean.. They wrote them ALL.

If you are going to work in this field, then you need to buy ' The Definitive Guide to DAX '.


Top 3 DAX Research Options

When you need to know how to do anything with DAX, you have three options:

Option 1 : Google your question and select the response that takes to you sqlbi.com

Option 2: Start at the sqlbi.com blog

Option 3: Look it up. Didn't you buy ' The Definitive Guide to Dax ' yet?

Tools of the Gods

These guys built ALL of the tools that you need to work with MSBI*. If anyone knows of a tool created by anyone other than the Italians, I need to know about it because these guys are the only place that has anything.


DAX Studio - Used to write, execute, and analyze DAX queries.

VertiPaq Analyzer - Understand what storage in your tabular models.

DAX Formatter - Make your DAX look great.

Plus many more

* Apparently the Gods of Magic didn't build EVERYTHING... They had help from Darren Gosbel on DAX Studio, and some of the other tools.



Training from the GODS

Marco and Alberto also do tons of training all over the globe. They speak at conventions and are available for private instruction.

If you need to know how to work with anything Power BI, Power Pivot or Analysis Services, these guys are the ones to reach out to.


Data God Fun Fact:

Neither Alberto or Marco have ever worked for Microsoft as employees.

I know, right!?!?


History:

Alberto and Marco are in all of the chronicles for everything Power BI, Power Pivot, Power Query, Power View... I mean, they have been around for a VERY long time.


UX/UI Blog Posts

The Gods of Magic are the original DAX blogers. These postsare the holy words of all things Tabular.



CHRIS WAGNER, MBA MVP

Analytics Architect, Mentor, Leader, and Visionary

Chris has been working in the Data and Analytics space for nearly 20 years. Chris has dedicated his professional career to making data and information accessible to the masses. A significant component in making data available is continually learning new things and teaching others from these experiences. To help people keep up with this ever-changing landscape, Chris frequently posts on LinkedIn and to this blog.
By Christopher Wagner September 3, 2024
Your guide to becoming a Data Engineer.
By Christopher Wagner August 19, 2024
Compare Microsoft Fabric and Databricks, two leading data platforms. Highlights their features, strengths, and unique offerings across various domains like data engineering, data analytics, data science, DevOps, security, integration with other tools, cost management, and governance. Microsoft Fabric is noted for its low-code/no-code solutions and seamless integration with Microsoft tools, making it accessible for users with varying technical skills. Databricks is praised for its high-performance capabilities in big data processing and collaborative analytics, offering flexibility and control for experienced data teams.
By Christopher Wagner November 15, 2023
In a dynamic data engineering scenario, Sam, a skilled professional, adeptly navigates urgent requests using Microsoft Fabric. Collaborating with Data Steward Lisa and leveraging OneLake, Sam streamlines data processes, creating a powerful collaboration between engineering and stewardship. With precision in Azure Data Factory and collaboration with a Data Scientist, Sam crafts a robust schema, leading to a visually appealing Power BI report.
By Christopher Wagner April 28, 2023
NOTE: This is the first draft of this document that was assembled yesterday as a solo effort. If you would like to contribute or have any suggestions, check out my first public GIT repository - KratosDataGod/LakehouseToPowerBI: Architectural design for incorporating a Data Lakehouse architecture with an Enterprise Power BI Deployment (github.com) This article is NOT published, reviewed, or approved by ANYONE at Microsoft. This content is my own and is what I recommend for architecture and build patterns.
Show More
Share by: