I recently installed SQL Server 2012 and began exploring the tabular models. At first glance, they look very similar to PowerPivot and contain much of the same functionality. In fact, both the tabular model and PowerPivot share the same engine and the DAX language.
Although on the surface they appear very similar, several notable differences exist.
The following grid lists a few of the differences between the tabular model and PowerPivot:
| Tabular Model | PowerPivot | |
| Scalability |
|
|
| Manageability | SSMS, AMO, ADOMD, XMLA, Deployment Wizard, PowerShell, Integration Services (Cathy Dumas’s Blog) |
Excel / SharePoint |
| Securability | Row level and dynamic security | Excel workbook file security |
| Development Tool | Visual Studio | Excel |
There are several new features common to both PowerPivot and Tabular Models:
- Hierarchies
- KPIs
- Perspectives
If you’d like to see a list of the new features in PowerPivot 2012, check out this link (http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/hh272053(SQL.110).aspx).