PowerShell for Analysis Services

Introduction to PowerShell for Analysis Services

PowerShell is a powerful command-line shell and scripting language developed by Microsoft that allows you to automate tasks and manage configurations. For SQL Server Analysis Services (SSAS), PowerShell provides an efficient way to interact with, configure, and manage your multidimensional and tabular models.

By using PowerShell cmdlets and the AMO (Analysis Management Objects) or TOM (Tabular Object Model) libraries, you can automate a wide range of operations, from deploying models to querying data and managing security.

Key Benefits:

• Automation: Automate repetitive tasks like model deployment, data refresh, and backup.
• Scalability: Manage multiple SSAS instances and databases efficiently.
• Integration: Integrate SSAS management into broader IT automation workflows.
• Configuration: Programmatically configure server properties and database settings.
• Reporting: Generate reports on SSAS objects, performance, and status.

Getting Started with Analysis Services PowerShell Cmdlets

To use PowerShell with Analysis Services, you need to ensure you have the necessary modules installed. These are typically part of the SQL Server installation or available as separate downloads.

Prerequisites:

• PowerShell 3.0 or later.
• SQL Server Management Studio (SSMS) with Analysis Services components installed.
• The appropriate PowerShell modules for Analysis Services (e.g., SqlServerCmdlet`s or specific SSAS modules).

Loading the Module:

You can load the necessary cmdlets using the Import-Module command:

Import-Module SqlServer  # Often includes SSAS cmdlets
# Or for older versions or specific components:
# Import-Module "C:\Program Files (x86)\Microsoft SQL Server\150\Tools\PowerShell\Modules\Microsoft.AnalysisServices.PowerShell"
            

Connecting to an Analysis Services Instance:

You can connect to your SSAS instance using the Connect-SqlServer cmdlet or by directly referencing the server name in other cmdlets.

# Connect to a local SSAS instance
$asServer = New-Object Microsoft.AnalysisServices.Tabular.Server
$asServer.Connect("localhost") # For Tabular
# Or for Multidimensional:
# $asServer = New-Object Microsoft.AnalysisServices.Server
# $asServer.Connect("localhost")

# Using cmdlets (if available)
# Connect-SqlServer -ServerInstance "localhost" -Module SqlServer
            

Common Analysis Services Tasks with PowerShell

1. Deploying a Tabular Model

Deploying a new or updated tabular model is a common use case.

# Load necessary assemblies (if not using modules)
Add-Type -AssemblyName "Microsoft.AnalysisServices.Tabular.dll"
Add-Type -AssemblyName "Microsoft.AnalysisServices.TOM.dll"

# Define connection details
$serverName = "localhost"
$databaseName = "MyTabularDatabase"
$modelPath = "C:\Path\To\Your\Model.bim" # Or .asdatabase

# Connect to the server
$asServer = New-Object Microsoft.AnalysisServices.Tabular.Server
$asServer.Connect($serverName)

# Get or create the database
$asDatabase = $asServer.Databases.FindByName($databaseName)
if ($asDatabase -eq $null) {
    $asDatabase = New-Object Microsoft.AnalysisServices.Tabular.Database($databaseName)
    $asServer.Databases.Add($asDatabase)
    $asDatabase.Update()
    Write-Host "Database '$databaseName' created."
} else {
    Write-Host "Database '$databaseName' already exists."
}

# Deploy the model
$asDatabase.Load( (Get-Content $modelPath -Encoding Byte -ReadCount 0), [Microsoft.AnalysisServices.Tabular.CompatibilityMode]::Powershell )
$asDatabase.Update()

Write-Host "Model deployed successfully to '$databaseName' on '$serverName'."

$asServer.Disconnect()
            

2. Refreshing Data Sources

Automate data refreshes for your models.

# Connect to the SSAS server (Tabular example)
$asServer = New-Object Microsoft.AnalysisServices.Tabular.Server
$asServer.Connect("localhost")

$databaseName = "MyTabularDatabase"
$asDatabase = $asServer.Databases.FindByName($databaseName)

if ($asDatabase) {
    Write-Host "Refreshing data sources for database: $databaseName"
    $asDatabase.Refresh()
    $asDatabase.Update()
    Write-Host "Data refresh initiated."
} else {
    Write-Host "Database '$databaseName' not found."
}

$asServer.Disconnect()
            

3. Querying Data using DAX

Execute DAX queries against your tabular models.

# Connect to the SSAS server (Tabular example)
$asServer = New-Object Microsoft.AnalysisServices.Tabular.Server
$asServer.Connect("localhost")

$databaseName = "MyTabularDatabase"
$asDatabase = $asServer.Databases.FindByName($databaseName)

if ($asDatabase) {
    $daxQuery = "EVALUATE SUMMARIZECOLUMNS('DimProduct'[EnglishProductName], 'DimProduct'[Color], 'FactInternetSales'[SalesAmount])"
    $queryResults = $asDatabase.Execute($daxQuery)

    Write-Host "Query Results:"
    $queryResults | Format-Table
} else {
    Write-Host "Database '$databaseName' not found."
}

$asServer.Disconnect()
            

4. Managing Roles and Permissions

Script the management of user roles and permissions.

# Example: Adding a user to a role (Conceptual - actual implementation can be more complex)
# Requires AMO/TOM objects for roles and users
# This is a simplified representation.
# Get-Role -Server localhost -Database MyTabularDatabase -RoleName "Sales Managers" | Add-Member -MemberType RoleMember -Value "Domain\UserName"
            

Advanced Scenarios

PowerShell can be used for much more, including:

• Creating and modifying tables, columns, and relationships.
• Scripting the creation of measures and calculated columns.
• Performing incremental loads.
• Managing partitions.
• Automating backups and restores.
• Monitoring SSAS performance and health.