Database Reference
In-Depth Information
Once the model is complete, it is deployed to an SSAS server instance configured for
tabular storage mode to make it available for others to use. This provides a great way
to create a self-service BI solution, then make it a department solution and then an
enterprise solution, as shown:
•
Self-service solution
: A business user loads data into PowerPivot and
analyzes the data, making improvements along the way.
•
Department solution
: The Excel file that contains the PowerPivot workbook
is deployed to a SharePoint site used by the department (in which the active
data model actually resides in an SSAS instance and not in the Excel file).
Department members use and enhance the data model over time.
•
Enterprise solution
: The PowerPivot data model from the SharePoint site is
imported into a tabular data model by the IT department. Security is added
and then the model is deployed to SSAS so the entire company can use it.
As we will learn in the following sections, Power View can be used to analyze and
explore the data for all three of these solutions.
Power View within SharePoint
This section describes using Power View within SharePoint. It can be used with the
enterprise editions of SharePoint 2010 or SharePoint 2013.
Setup
Although Power View is very easy to use, setting up the required infrastructure
when using it with SharePoint can be a bit tricky. Power View is automatically
installed when you run the SQL Server 2012 setup and choose
Reporting Services
Add-in for SharePoint Products
on the
Feature Selection
page. This is a newer
version of the add-in, which includes Power View, compared to the version that is
installed with SharePoint 2010 that does not include Power View. The following are
the software requirements for Power View:
• SQL Server 2012 database engine (Business Intelligence Edition or
Enterprise Edition).
• SQL Server 2012 Reporting Services (in SharePoint Integrated mode).
• SQL Server 2012 PowerPivot for SharePoint.
• SQL Server 2012 Analysis Services (SSAS) in tabular mode if using a tabular
model connection.
