Azure Analysis Services Data Sources

Azure Analysis Services enables you to design, build, and manage tabular and multidimensional models in the cloud. Data sources are the fundamental building blocks for these models, providing the raw data that users will analyze.

Supported Data Sources

Azure Analysis Services can connect to a wide variety of on-premises and cloud data sources. Some of the most common include:

  • Azure SQL Database: Relational database service in the cloud.
  • Azure Synapse Analytics: Formerly SQL Data Warehouse, a limitless analytics service.
  • Azure Blob Storage: Scalable object storage for unstructured data.
  • SQL Server: On-premises relational database management system.
  • Oracle: Powerful relational database management system.
  • Teradata: Data warehousing solution.
  • Flat Files (.csv, .txt): Simple text-based data files.
  • Excel Files: Spreadsheet files.
  • Power BI Datasets: Connect to existing Power BI datasets to build upon them.

Connecting to Data Sources

To connect to a data source, you typically need to provide:

  1. Server Name/Endpoint: The address of the data source.
  2. Database Name: The specific database to connect to.
  3. Authentication Credentials: Username/password, service principal, or integrated authentication depending on the source and your security setup.

Azure Analysis Services supports various connection methods, including direct query and import. The choice of method depends on the data source capabilities, data volume, and performance requirements.

Data Source View (DSV)

Within Azure Analysis Services, you create a Data Source View (DSV). A DSV is an abstraction layer that represents the data from one or more physical data sources. It allows you to:

  • Combine data from multiple sources.
  • Rename columns and tables for clarity.
  • Define relationships between tables from different sources.
  • Perform transformations and calculations.
  • Hide sensitive information.
Security Best Practices: Always use secure authentication methods. For cloud sources, consider using Azure Active Directory (Azure AD) service principals or managed identities. For on-premises sources, ensure your gateway is securely configured.

Example: Connecting to Azure SQL Database

When connecting to Azure SQL Database from Azure Analysis Services, you would typically use the following information:

  • Server Name: your_server_name.database.windows.net
  • Database Name: YourDatabaseName
  • Authentication: Azure AD authentication or SQL Server authentication.

You can configure this connection through SQL Server Data Tools (SSDT) or Visual Studio with Analysis Services projects.

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