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• Reporting software These applications generate aggregated views of data you are
tracking. They can compare different times so you can get a good understanding of
your overall conditions.
• Data mining This allows you to go back through your data and search for a specific
piece of information. For instance, if you’ve decided to track a metric you hadn’t
previously thought to track, with data mining you can go back through existing data
and make your new measurements.

Microsoft SQL Server
To keep track of your data, you can use a product such as Microsoft SQL Server, which is
a relational database management system. It can be used in conjunction with a product such
as PerformancePoint Server. Alternatively, if you are so inclined, you can build your own
database.
Microsoft SQL Server is very powerful and includes such services as the following:

• Service broker
• Replication
• Analysis
• Reporting
• Notification
• Integration
• Full-test search
For instance, SQL Server’s Analysis service adds OLAP and data-mining capabilities.
The service includes various algorithms such as decision trees, clustering algorithm, naïve
Bayes, time series, sequence clustering, linear and logistic regression, and neural networks.

Microsoft PerformancePoint
PerformancePoint Server 2007 busies itself with three missions:

• Planning
• Monitoring
• Analytics
Monitoring and analytics are delivered through a Monitoring Server, which includes PART V
two interfaces:
• Dashboard Designer
• SharePoint Web Parts
The Dashboard Designer allows you to perform the following tasks:

• Define the data you wish to monitor.
• Create views that allow you to monitor that data.