Connect client tools to Azure Analysis Services

This document guides you through connecting various client tools to your Azure Analysis Services (AAS) instance.

Important: Ensure you have the necessary permissions (e.g., Administrator, Member, or Reader roles) on the Azure Analysis Services server or the resource group containing it.

Supported Client Tools

Azure Analysis Services can be connected to by a variety of popular business intelligence and data modeling tools. The most common include:

Connection Strings

The primary piece of information you'll need for connection is the server name, which is part of the connection string. You can find your server name in the Azure portal.

Finding Your Server Name

  1. Navigate to your Azure Analysis Services server in the Azure portal.
  2. On the Overview page, under Server name, you will find the fully qualified domain name (FQDN) of your server. It typically looks like yourservername.eastus.asazure.windows.net.
  3. Copy this server name.

Connecting with Power BI Desktop

Power BI Desktop is a common tool for visualizing and analyzing data from Azure Analysis Services.

  1. Open Power BI Desktop.
  2. Go to Get data.
  3. Select Azure from the categories on the left.
  4. Choose Azure Analysis Services and click Connect.
  5. In the Server field, paste the server name you copied from the Azure portal.
  6. Choose the connection mode (DirectQuery or Import). For AAS, DirectQuery is typically recommended.
  7. Click OK.
  8. You will be prompted for authentication. Use your Azure Active Directory (Azure AD) credentials.
  9. Once authenticated, select the tabular model databases you want to connect to.

Connecting with SQL Server Data Tools (SSDT)

SSDT is used for developing tabular models for Analysis Services.

  1. Open Visual Studio with SQL Server Data Tools installed.
  2. Create a new project or open an existing one.
  3. If creating a new project, select Analysis Services Tabular Project.
  4. In the Tabular model designer, right-click on Data Sources and select New Data Source.
  5. In the Data Source Wizard, select Azure Analysis Services.
  6. In the Server name field, enter your AAS server name.
  7. Click Connect.
  8. Authenticate using your Azure AD credentials.
  9. Select the database you want to connect to.

Connecting with Excel

Excel can connect to Azure Analysis Services to create PivotTables and analyze data.

  1. Open Microsoft Excel.
  2. Go to the Data tab.
  3. Click Get Data > From Azure > From Azure Analysis Services.
  4. In the Server name field, enter your AAS server name.
  5. Under Connect mode, choose Live Connection.
  6. Click OK.
  7. Authenticate with your Azure AD credentials.
  8. Select the database and tables you want to use.

Connection Security

Azure Analysis Services uses Azure Active Directory for authentication. Ensure your client tools are configured to use Azure AD authentication for secure connections.

Firewall Configuration

If you encounter connection issues, verify that the firewall settings for your Azure Analysis Services server allow connections from your client's IP address or specific Azure services.

Tip: For programmatic access or scripting, you can use the Analysis Services client libraries (AMO or TOM) or PowerShell cmdlets. These often require connection strings that include authentication tokens or service principal credentials.

Troubleshooting Common Connection Errors