In This Article

Overview of Analysis Services Deployment

This document provides a comprehensive overview of deploying SQL Server Analysis Services (SSAS) solutions. Effective deployment is crucial for making your business intelligence data models accessible to end-users and ensuring reliable performance.

Introduction

Deploying an SSAS solution involves transferring your project artifacts (databases, models, cubes, dimensions, measures, etc.) from a development environment to a production server. This process requires careful planning to minimize downtime, ensure data integrity, and configure the SSAS instance appropriately for its intended use.

Note: Deployment strategies can vary significantly based on the SSAS mode (Multidimensional or Tabular) and the complexity of your solution.

Key Concepts

  • SSAS Instance: The server where Analysis Services is installed and running.
  • SSAS Project: The collection of files and metadata representing your BI solution developed in tools like Visual Studio with SQL Server Data Tools (SSDT).
  • Deployment Package: The compiled output of an SSAS project, typically containing the database definition, tabular model, or multidimensional model.
  • Process: The operation of refreshing data within the deployed SSAS database.
  • Server Properties: Configuration settings on the SSAS instance that affect performance, security, and behavior.

Deployment Phases

A typical SSAS deployment process can be broken down into the following phases:

  1. Development: Designing and building your SSAS models in a development environment.
  2. Testing: Validating the model's logic, performance, and data accuracy in a test environment.
  3. Packaging: Creating the deployable package from your SSAS project.
  4. Deployment: Transferring the package to the target SSAS instance.
  5. Configuration: Setting up server properties, security roles, and connection strings.
  6. Processing: Refreshing the data within the deployed SSAS database.
  7. Validation: Performing final checks to ensure the deployment was successful and the solution is functioning as expected.

Deployment Methods

Several methods can be used to deploy SSAS solutions:

  • SQL Server Data Tools (SSDT) in Visual Studio: The most common method, allowing direct deployment from the development environment to an SSAS instance.
  • SQL Server Management Studio (SSMS): Can be used to deploy databases from a backup file or attach existing databases.
  • XMLA (XML for Analysis): A scripting language that can be used to automate deployment tasks and execute commands against an SSAS instance.
  • PowerShell: Scripting with the Analysis Services cmdlets provides a powerful way to automate deployment and management.
  • Third-Party Tools: Various BI lifecycle management tools offer advanced deployment capabilities.

Best Practices

  • Maintain separate development, testing, and production environments.
  • Use source control for your SSAS projects.
  • Automate your deployment process as much as possible.
  • Implement robust error handling and logging for deployments and processing.
  • Secure your SSAS instance and databases with appropriate roles and permissions.
  • Regularly review and tune SSAS server properties for optimal performance.
  • Plan for downtime during major deployments or schema changes.

Further Reading