Deploy Analysis Services Model
This guide walks you through the process of deploying your Azure Analysis Services (AAS) model to an Azure Analysis Services instance. Deployment involves taking your existing tabular model project (often developed in Visual Studio with SQL Server Data Tools) and publishing it to your AAS server.
Prerequisites
- An Azure Analysis Services server instance must be created and running.
- You need a tabular model project developed in Visual Studio with SQL Server Data Tools (SSDT).
- Appropriate permissions to deploy to the AAS server (e.g., Server Administrator role).
Deployment Methods
There are two primary methods for deploying your model:
- Using Visual Studio (SSDT): This is the most common method, integrated directly into the development environment.
- Using Tabular Editor: A powerful third-party tool that provides advanced management and deployment capabilities.
Deploying via Visual Studio (SSDT)
Follow these steps to deploy your model using Visual Studio:
- Open your tabular model project in Visual Studio with SSDT.
- In the Solution Explorer, right-click on your project name.
- Select Deploy.
- The Analysis Services Deployment Wizard will launch. Click Next.
- In the Server Name field, enter the fully qualified domain name (FQDN) of your Azure Analysis Services server. You can find this in the Azure portal on your AAS resource page.
- Ensure Database Name is set to your desired database name on the server. You can choose to create a new database or overwrite an existing one.
- Click Next through the subsequent screens, reviewing the deployment settings.
- On the Summary page, review the actions that will be performed.
- Click Deploy to begin the deployment process.
- Once the deployment is complete, you will see a success message. Click Close.
Deployment Configuration
During deployment, you can configure various settings, including:
- Server Name: The connection string to your AAS instance.
- Database Name: The name of the database on the AAS server.
- Overwrite existing database: Choose whether to replace an existing database with the same name.
- Deployment Properties: You can set model properties like compatibility level, and data source connection strings.
Tip: It's recommended to use different connection strings for development and production environments. You can configure these in the deployment wizard or by using Visual Studio's parameterization features.
Deploying via Tabular Editor
Tabular Editor offers a more visual and often faster way to manage and deploy models. For detailed instructions on using Tabular Editor, please refer to its official documentation.
Verifying Deployment
After a successful deployment, you can verify it by:
- Connecting to your AAS server using SQL Server Management Studio (SSMS) or Azure Data Studio and checking for your database.
- Querying the deployed model using DAX or MDX.
Important: Ensure your Azure Analysis Services firewall is configured to allow connections from your IP address or trusted networks before attempting to deploy.