Search results matching tags 'Analysis Services', 'BIDS', and 'CTP3'

Change default workspace and deployment server in #Tabular #SSAS #Denali #CTP3

sqlbi — Wed, 20 Jul 2011 07:01:00 GMT

When you install Analysis Services Denali, chances are that you create an instance for Tabular that is not the default instance for Analysis Services. When you try to create a Tabular project, you might get the following error:

You cannot open the BIM file. Reason: The workspace database server ‘localhost’ was not found. Verify that there is an Analysis Services server instance running on ‘localhost’ in VertiPaq mode.
To change the workspace database server for the selected BIM file ‘Model.bim’, in Solution Explorer, select the BIM file ‘Model.bim’ and then in the Properties window, change the workspace database server.

Every time you create a new Tabular project, you have two settings that, by default, point to the default localhost instance (which you might not have at all if, like me, you never install a default instance on your development machine):

The Deployment Server, which is defined in the project properties

The Workspace Server, which is a property that is included in the BIM file

As you can see, in the previous screenshot I changed these settings to my SSAS Tabular instance (localhost\denali).

If you want to change the default settings for any new project, in order to avoid the error message I previously mentioned, you have to go in the Tools\Option dialog box and in the Analysis Services \ Data Modeling and Analysis Services \ Deployment settings you can set the corresponding default values for Workspace Server and Deployment Server.

I have to learn that this is the first thing to do as soon as I will setup any new development workstation for BISM Tabular.

Vote a bug and a missing feature in #powerpivot #denali #ctp3 on #connect

sqlbi — Tue, 19 Jul 2011 07:24:00 GMT

If you have 30 seconds available, please vote the following items on Connect:

https://connect.microsoft.com/SQLServer/feedback/details/679618/import-attribute-key-from-ssas-in-powerpivot

When you import data coming from an Analysis Services cube in PowerPivot, you cannot import the attribute key value. Only the attribute name is included in the query generated by the query designer. There is a possible workaround, creating a calculated measure with an MDX expression which return the attribute key value corresponding to the current member of the related attribute, but not many users are able to do that.

https://connect.microsoft.com/SQLServer/feedback/details/679677/ragged-hierarchies-cannot-be-imported-in-powerpivot-tabular

When you import data coming from an Analysis Services cube in PowerPivot, you cannot import a ragged hierarchy. I've already described this issue in an older post.

The reason I ask your support is that in Denali CTP3 both PowerPivot and BIDS for Tabular projects has these issues. It really hurts PowerPivot end users, but it is also a waste of time for the experienced BI developer, who need to write a calculated measure in MDX for each attribute key he wants to import it using the query designer (writing MDX by hand is always the preferred alternative, I know) and have to write an MDX query by hand if the levels in the ragged hierarchy are not exposed as browsable attributes (which is not a best practice in cube design!).

Help me to rais the priority for this issues - A multidimensional model in Analysis Services should be a better data source for PowerPivot and BISM Tabular!

First steps with #ssas #Tabular in #Denali #CTP3

sqlbi — Thu, 14 Jul 2011 04:25:00 GMT

The Analysis Services team just posted a blog entry with a few useful links to jumpstart your experience with Tabular project in Analysis Services "Denali".

In these early days I read several messages asking for clarification about the names and acronyms used in Denali. For a complete description I suggest you to read the Analysis Services - Vision & Roadmap Update published by Microsoft in May 2011 and my personal comments in this blog. However, if you are in a hurry, this is a short recap:

Analysis Services Denali has two enginges: the traditional OLAP one (the only one it had until 2008) and the new Vertipaq one (introduced by PowerPivot and now directly available without SharePoint and/or Excel).
In order to cover these two tecnologies under the same hat, a new acronym has been introduced: BISM (Business Intelligence Semantic Model)
When yuo create a project for BISM you can use either BISM Multidimensional (corresponding to a classic SSAS project based on the OLAP engine) or BISM Tabular (corresponding to the new project type based on the Vertipaq engine).
In documentation, books and article you will read Multidimensional (corresponding to BISM Multidimensional) and Tabular (corresponding to BISM Tabular).
Both Multidimensional and Tabular models can be queried by using MDX. However, internal calculation are based on DAX in Tabular and DAX can also be used to query a Tabular model. In a possibly near future, we should expect to use DAX also to query a Multidimensional project (I hope this will happen very very soon - months and not years).
When you install Analysis Services Denali you have to choose what type of engine you want to use for the instance you are installing. If you want to be able to use both engines, you need to install two instances of Analysis Services. During the setup you can choose which one you desire and Multidimensional is the default.
The UDM acronym (Unified Dimensional Model) is no longer used. An UDM project is now a BISM Multidimensional project. THere is a 100% compatibility for existing projects and from the point of view of the existing feature, BISM Multidimensional is 100% corresponding to UDM in 2008 R2. Any existing book, documentation and whitepaper is still valid in BISM Multidimensional. The Analysis Services release has improvements (there is no longer a 4GB limit for string stores, for example), fix and optimizations, but there aren't new major features in Multidimensional for this release.

Thus, if you want to test what is new in Analysis Services Denali, this is the call to action:

Install Analysis Service Denali in Tabular mode
Import your existing PowerPivot workbooks in a Tabular project (yes, you can!)
Learn DAX.
Start using the new features in Denali (you have KPI, Partitions and Security, just to name a few)
Learn DAX
Play with this new baby and stay tuned for more content in this and other blogs!
Learn DAX

In case it is not clear, if you are a BI professional, there is an important thing you have to do in order to keep your skill updated: Learn DAX!