Moving out of Obiee and starting power bi journey

Here is a guide to the key differences, challenges, and a recommended starting point for your Power BI journey:

---

## 🚀 Phase 1: Power BI Learning Roadmap

As an experienced OBIEE professional, focus your learning on these core areas where the tools differ significantly:

### 1. **Data Modeling & Transformation**

| OBIEE Concept | Power BI Equivalent/Skill | Key Focus |

| :--- | :--- | :--- |

| **RPD (Physical, BMM, Presentation Layers)** | **Power BI Data Model** | You'll rebuild the logic (joins, measures, hierarchies) directly in Power BI Desktop. The RPD structure doesn't have a direct one-to-one migration. Focus on **Star Schema** design, which is key to Power BI's performance (VertiPaq engine). |

| **Oracle SQL/SQL in Filters** | **M Language (Power Query)** | M is for **data transformation and ingestion**. It handles the "E" and "T" of ETL, similar to OBIEE's Physical/BMM layers. |

| **RPD Calculation Measures/Expressions** | **DAX (Data Analysis Expressions)** | DAX is the **calculation language** for measures, calculated columns, and calculated tables. This is critical for complex logic. *This is one of the most important new skills to master.* |

### 2. **Architecture and Deployment**

| OBIEE Concept | Power BI Equivalent/Skill | Key Focus |

| :--- | :--- | :--- |

| **OBIEE Server / WebLogic** | **Power BI Service (Cloud)** | Learn about **Workspaces**, **Gateways** (for on-premises data sources), **Dataflows** (for reusable ETL logic), and **Deployment Pipelines**. |

| **iBots / Agents** | **Data Alerts / Subscriptions** | Power BI handles scheduled report refreshes and alert notifications differently. |

| **Catalog / Presentation Services** | **Power BI Reports / Dashboards** | Reports are multi-page, interactive canvases. Dashboards are single-page collections of visuals from multiple reports. |

| **Security (Users/Groups/Application Roles)** | **Row-Level Security (RLS) & Workspace Roles** | RLS is defined using DAX expressions in the data model. User/Group management is often integrated with **Azure Active Directory (AAD)**. |

---

## 🛠️ Phase 2: Migration Best Practices

If your job involves migrating existing OBIEE content, here are the strategic steps:

### 1. **Assessment and Planning**

* **Audit Usage:** Don't migrate everything! Use OBIEE usage tracking logs to identify the **high-value, high-usage reports** and subject areas to prioritize. Decommission the rest.

* **Proof of Concept (PoC):** Start with one simple subject area to build your first Power BI model. This helps establish an internal standard and learn the process.

### 2. **Technical Migration Focus**

* **Rebuild the Model:** Manually recreate your RPD's business logic, joins, and aggregates natively in a Power BI data model, focusing on the star schema pattern.

* **Convert Logic:** You will need to **re-write** complex OBIEE filters and SQL logic into **M** (in Power Query) and your measures/calculations into **DAX**. This is the biggest technical effort.

### 3. **User Adoption & Governance**

* **Phased Rollout:** Run OBIEE and Power BI in **parallel** for a testing and validation period (**User Acceptance Testing - UAT**).

* **Training:** Provide targeted training to both business users (self-service analytics and new interface) and your IT/BI team (DAX, M, and Power BI Service administration).

---

## 💡 Quick Tips to Get Started

1. **Download Power BI Desktop:** It's free and the main development environment.

2. **Start with Microsoft Learn:** They have excellent, structured learning paths for the **Power BI Data Analyst Associate** certification. This will give you a solid foundation in M, DAX, and data modeling.

3. **Learn DAX:** There are many free resources, but mastering DAX is the key to unlocking the true power of your models.

Would you like me to find some **highly-rated online courses or specific Microsoft Learn paths** for Power BI data modeling and DAX to help kick off your training?