About Capgemini

Capgemini is a global consulting, technology, and outsourcing company that provides a wide range of services to help organizations navigate the complexities of the digital world. With a presence in over 50 countries and a team of over 270,000 professionals, Capgemini offers expertise in areas such as cloud computing, cybersecurity, data analytics, artificial intelligence, and more. The company works with clients across various industries, assisting them in their digital transformation journey and helping them stay competitive in today's rapidly evolving business landscape.

30 Capgemini MSBI Interview Questions and Answers

Microsoft Business Intelligence (MSBI) is a powerful suite of tools provided by Microsoft for data integration, reporting, and analysis. If you are preparing for a Capgemini MSBI interview, it's essential to be familiar with the key concepts and commonly asked questions. In this article, we have compiled a list of 30 MSBI interview questions frequently asked during Capgemini interviews, along with their answers:

1. Q1: What is MSBI?

   Answer: MSBI stands for Microsoft Business Intelligence. It is a suite of tools that includes SQL Server Integration Services (SSIS) for data integration, SQL Server Analysis Services (SSAS) for data analysis, and SQL Server Reporting Services (SSRS) for creating and delivering interactive reports.

2. Q2: Explain the components of MSBI.

   Answer: The components of MSBI are:
   • SQL Server Integration Services (SSIS): For ETL (Extract, Transform, Load) operations and data integration.
   • SQL Server Analysis Services (SSAS): For creating OLAP cubes and data mining models.
   • SQL Server Reporting Services (SSRS): For designing and generating reports in various formats.

3. Q3: What is the role of SSIS in MSBI?

   Answer: SSIS (SQL Server Integration Services) is used for ETL operations, i.e., extracting data from various sources, transforming it to fit the desired data model, and loading it into the destination database or data warehouse. It enables the integration of data from different sources and supports complex data transformation tasks.

4. Q4: How is SSAS different from SSIS?

   Answer: SSAS (SQL Server Analysis Services) is used for data analysis and creating OLAP cubes. It allows users to perform complex multidimensional analysis, drilling down into data, and creating data mining models. On the other hand, SSIS is primarily used for data integration and ETL tasks.

5. Q5: What are the different types of SSAS databases?

   Answer: There are two types of SSAS databases:
   • Multidimensional OLAP (MOLAP): It stores data in a multidimensional cube format for faster query performance.
   • Tabular OLAP (Tabular): It stores data in tabular format using in-memory technology for faster querying and data compression.

6. Q6: What is the role of SSRS in MSBI?

   Answer: SSRS (SQL Server Reporting Services) is used for creating, managing, and delivering interactive and paginated reports. It provides a range of data visualization options and can generate reports in various formats like PDF, Excel, and Word.

7. Q7: Explain the SSIS Control Flow and Data Flow.

   Answer: The SSIS Control Flow is the workflow that manages the order of tasks and containers in an SSIS package. It contains tasks like Execute SQL Task, File System Task, and Data Flow Task. The SSIS Data Flow is the pipeline that moves data from source to destination, where data transformations can be applied using various SSIS transformations like Derived Column and Lookup.

8. Q8: How do you handle incremental data loads in SSIS?

   Answer: Incremental data loads in SSIS can be achieved by using techniques like CDC (Change Data Capture), using timestamps or date columns to identify new or updated records, or maintaining a separate flag column to track the changes.

9. Q9: What is a Slowly Changing Dimension (SCD) in SSIS?

   Answer: Slowly Changing Dimension (SCD) is a concept used in data warehousing to manage changes in dimension attributes over time. There are three types of SCDs - Type 1 (Overwrite), Type 2 (Historical), and Type 3 (Add Columns).

10. Q10: What is the deployment model in SSIS?

    Answer: In SSIS, there are two deployment models: Package Deployment Model and Project Deployment Model. The Package Deployment Model is the traditional way of deploying individual SSIS packages, while the Project Deployment Model allows deploying the entire SSIS project along with parameters and environments.

11. Q11: How do you deploy SSRS reports?

    Answer: SSRS reports can be deployed using SQL Server Data Tools (SSDT) or Report Manager. With SSDT, you can deploy reports directly from Visual Studio, whereas Report Manager is a web-based interface where you can deploy, manage, and organize reports.

12. Q12: What are report parameters in SSRS?

    Answer: Report parameters in SSRS are used to allow users to specify values at runtime to control the data displayed in the report. Parameters can be used to filter data, define query parameters, or provide dynamic values for report elements.

13. Q13: How do you optimize SSAS cube performance?

    Answer: SSAS cube performance can be optimized by using techniques like aggregations, partitioning, and caching. Aggregations pre-calculate summarized data to speed up query response time, partitioning divides the cube into smaller, manageable segments, and caching stores query results to reduce processing time.

14. Q14: What is a drillthrough in SSAS?

    Answer: A drillthrough in SSAS allows users to see more detailed information related to a specific data point in the cube. It enables users to navigate from a summarized view to the underlying data, helping in root cause analysis and data exploration.

15. Q15: How do you create a calculated member in SSAS?

    Answer: Calculated members in SSAS can be created using MDX (Multidimensional Expressions). MDX expressions allow defining custom calculations, aggregations, and member formulas within the cube to enhance data analysis.

16. Q16: What is a KPI (Key Performance Indicator) in SSAS?

    Answer: A Key Performance Indicator (KPI) in SSAS is a measure used to evaluate business performance against predefined targets. KPIs help users to track progress and identify areas that require attention.

17. Q17: What are the different authentication modes in SSRS?

    Answer: SSRS supports two authentication modes: Native mode and SharePoint Integrated mode. Native mode uses SSRS security settings for authentication, while SharePoint Integrated mode relies on SharePoint for authentication.

18. Q18: How do you schedule SSRS reports?

    Answer: SSRS reports can be scheduled for automated execution and delivery using the Report Server and SQL Server Agent. You can specify the schedule frequency and delivery options for the reports.

19. Q19: What is the Report Builder tool in SSRS?

    Answer: Report Builder is a tool provided by Microsoft for business users and report developers to create ad-hoc reports without the need for advanced technical knowledge. It offers an intuitive interface for designing and customizing reports.

20. Q20: How do you use expressions in SSRS?

    Answer: Expressions in SSRS are used to perform dynamic calculations and manipulate report data. You can use expressions to customize text, format numbers, control visibility, and define conditional logic in your reports.

21. Q21: What is a Shared Data Source in SSRS?

    Answer: A Shared Data Source in SSRS is a centralized data source that can be used across multiple reports. It helps in maintaining consistency and reusability of connection information in a report project.

22. Q22: How do you enable drillthrough in SSRS?

    Answer: To enable drillthrough in SSRS, you need to define drillthrough actions in the report. Drillthrough actions specify the target report to navigate to when users click on a specific data point in the report.

23. Q23: What are the different types of connections supported in SSRS?

    Answer: SSRS supports three types of connections:
    • ADO.NET: For connecting to SQL Server and other ADO.NET compatible data sources.
    • ODBC: For connecting to data sources using ODBC drivers.
    • OLE DB: For connecting to data sources using OLE DB providers.

24. Q24: How do you deploy SSAS cubes?

    Answer: SSAS cubes can be deployed using SQL Server Data Tools (SSDT) or SQL Server Management Studio (SSMS). With SSDT, you can deploy cubes directly from Visual Studio, whereas SSMS provides options for deploying and processing cubes.

25. Q25: What is proactive caching in SSAS?

    Answer: Proactive caching in SSAS allows you to pre-calculate and store aggregations and calculated measures in the cache before user queries are executed. It improves query performance and reduces query response time for frequently accessed data.

26. Q26: How do you handle security in SSAS?

    Answer: SSAS provides role-based security to control user access to cubes, dimensions, and data. You can define roles with specific permissions and assign users or groups to these roles to manage access control effectively.

27. Q27: What is a named calculation in SSAS?

    Answer: A named calculation in SSAS is a custom column created in a data source view (DSV) based on an expression or calculation. It allows you to define custom calculations at the DSV level for use in the cube.

28. Q28: How do you handle errors in SSIS?

    Answer: In SSIS, you can use error handling techniques like event handlers, error outputs, and checkpoints to handle errors during data integration and processing. Event handlers allow you to execute custom logic based on specific events, error outputs route error rows to a separate destination, and checkpoints resume package execution from the point of failure.

29. Q29: How do you optimize SSIS package performance?

    Answer: SSIS package performance can be optimized by using techniques like data flow optimizations, buffer tuning, and package configuration. Data flow optimizations involve minimizing data transformations and using efficient data sources and destinations. Buffer tuning helps manage memory usage, and package configurations allow dynamic configuration of package properties at runtime.

30. Q30: How do you use parameters in SSIS?

    Answer: Parameters in SSIS allow you to provide dynamic values to the package at runtime. They can be used to parameterize connection strings, folder paths, SQL queries, and other properties, making packages more flexible and reusable.

These MSBI interview questions and answers will help you prepare for your Capgemini interview and demonstrate your knowledge and expertise in Microsoft Business Intelligence. Remember to practice with real-world scenarios and projects to reinforce your understanding of MSBI concepts.

Best of luck with your interview!