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Connecting to Microsoft SQL Server Analysis Services(SSAS) data source

Bold BI supports connecting Microsoft SQL Server Analysis Services (SSAS) database using the SQL MDX Query (C# API).

Choose a Microsoft SQL Server Analysis Services (SSAS) data source

To configure the Microsoft SQL Server Analysis Services (SSAS) data source, follow these steps:

  1. Click the Data Sources button in the configuration panel to add a new data connection.

    Data source icon

  2. Click CREATE NEW to launch a new connection from the connection panel.

  3. Select the Microsoft SQL Server Analysis Services connection in the connection panel.

    Choose data source

NOTE: You can also create a data source from the home page by clicking on the Data Sources menu on the left menu panel and selecting Create Data Source from the data sources page.

Choose data source server

Connect to Microsoft SQL Server Analysis Services (SSAS)

Create a Microsoft SQL Server Analysis Services (SSAS) data source

After clicking on the data source, the NEW DATA SOURCE configuration panel opens. Follow the steps to create a Microsoft SQL Server Analysis Services (SSAS) data source:

  1. Enter a name and description (optional) for the data source.

  2. Enter a valid SSAS server (Syncfusion supports both multi-dimensional tabular mode connection) or host name in the Server name text box.

  3. Choose None, Windows Authentication, or Server Authentication in the Authentication Mechanism combo box.

  4. Enter a valid SSAS server username and password, if you choose Server Authentication Mechanism.

  5. Select the database you want to query from the listed databases associated with the given SSAS Server in the Database combo box.

    SSAS Connection

In future, you can edit the connection information using the Edit Connection option.

Connect using custom attribute and dashboard parameter

We have added support for custom attributes and dashboard parameters in the data source connection. You can now connect to the data source using custom attributes or dashboard parameters.

Custom Attribute

Custom

Dashboard Parameter

Dashboard Parameter

Note: Refer to the Dashboard Parameter Documentation and Custom Attributes Documentation for more details.

Cube customization

IMPORTANT: The code view and join operation are not supported, and the buttons are always in a disabled state. Additionally, data preview is also not supported for the dragged cube.

  1. Click Connect to connect to the SSAS server with the configured details.

The available list of Cubes is displayed in a treeview for the selected database, which are retrieved from the SSAS server.

Treeview schema

  1. In the data design view page, drag and drop the cube.

    Query designer

  2. Syncfusion only supports conversion from String to Date. You can convert the string to date format and then use this column in filter and widget operations.

    Column customization

  3. Click Save to save the data source with a relevant name.

Connect to expression designer

The Expression Designer is used to create a calculated field or column based on the field(s) or column(s) in the selected cube(s).

Expression Designer

Supported expression list

Function Type Function Name
Numbers ABS, ACOS, ASIN, ATAN, COS, DEGREES, EXP, LOG, PI, POWER, RADIAN, ROUND, SIGN, SIN, SQRT, TAN
Aggregation AVG, COUNT, COUNTD, MAX, MIN, STDEV, SUM, VAR
Logical AND, OR, NOT
Conditional IF, IFNULL, ISNULL, ISNOTNULL
Date NOW, DATESUB, DATEADD, TODAY
String CHAR, LEN, LEFT, RIGHT, LTRIM, RTRIM

Query filters or Initial filters

Query filters can be used to filter data for the created data source. For example, if you want to create a data source to display share market data only for the year 2018, then you can utilize this filter.

Query filters

You can configure the filter by dragging the required columns to the right side canvas.

Filter DragDrop

Connecting through MDX query

You can connect to the data source of specific data connections through a custom MDX Query. By default, the data design view opens in the design view. Switch to the code view by enabling the toggle option in the tools pane in the data design view, as shown in the following image.

Code view toggle

This will open the query editor window as follows.

Query editor window

In the Query Editor Window, you can enter the MDX Query, which helps access table schema information. After entering your query, click the Run button in the tools pane.

MDX query

You can also view the data for your query at the bottom of the Query Editor by clicking Update.

Preview data

Features Limitations:

When using the Microsoft SQL Server Analysis Services data source, not all the features provided in Bold BI work the same as with relational data sources, or they may not even be available.

The following table lists the differences.

Feature Support Availability
Extract Mode connection Not applicable
Aggregating Value Columns Based on Fields Not applicable
Data Sampling Not applicable
Dynamic connection string Not applicable
Shared Tables Not applicable
Joining Tables Not applicable
User Filter Not applicable
Preview Data source Not applicable
Expressions

Please find supported expression items here.

Below Expression items are not available in the Expression Module.

Numbers: COT, CEIL, FLOOR

Aggregation: AVGD, TOTAL, SUMD

Conditional: COALESCE

Date: CURRENT YEAR, CURRENT MONTH, DATEDIFF, DATENAME, DATEPART, DAY, DAYDIFF, HOUR, MINUTE, MONTH, PREVIOUSMONTH, PREVIOUS YEAR, YEAR, YESTERDAY

String: CONCAT, CONTAINS, ENDSWITH, LOWER, MAX, MIN, REPLACE, STARTSWITH, SUBSTR, TRIM, UPPER

Row: RUNNING COUNT, RUNNING AVG, RUNNING MAX, RUNNING MIN, RUNNING SUM

Sorting Field based sorting support not available
Customizing Tooltip Support available for Measure fields
Formatting Columns Renaming column support not available and date, string to integer, integer to string, date type conversion support not available.
Code view support Support available for tables Internal Queries

Notes: We have provided the code view mode support in SQL Server Analysis Services using subselects.

Subselects have the following Limitations:
• Usage of “WITH” and “DAX” queries is restricted and will be provided in the future through extract mode.
• The WHERE clause does not filter the subspace.
• The WHERE clause changes the default member in the sub-cube only.
• The NON-EMPTY clause is not allowed in an axis clause; use a filter (MDX) function expression instead.
• The HAVING clause is not allowed in an axis clause. Use a filter (MDX) function expression instead.
For reference, click on the this documentation.

Connecting Bold BI to Microsoft SQL Server Analysis Services(SSAS) via REST API

Prerequisites

Type while creating the data source needs to be ssas.

Rest API - v4.0

Parameters for creating Data Source

Parameters Details
Servername

required
`string`

Server name or Host name of the connection
IntegratedSecurity

optional
`string`

This is used to specify the authentication mechanism. You need to provide "true" for Windows Authentication and "false" for Basic Authentication.

default value is false
Username

optional
`string`

A valid username is required if Integrated Security is not provided or is set to false.
Password

optional
`string`

A valid Password is required if Integrated Security is not provided or is set to false.
Database

required
`string`

database which needs to be connected
Schemaname

required for table mode
`string`

Enter a valid Schemaname. Need to provide this as Cubes.
Tablename

required for table mode
`string`

Enter a valid Tablename
Query

required for code view mode
`string`

Enter a valid Query
Impersonate

optional
`boolean`

Enable or disable user impersonation. By default, it is false.
AdvancedSettings

optional
`string`

Additional optional connection parameters can be provided. By default, it is empty.
CommandTimeout

optional
`string`

Enter a valid Timeout for connection. By default, it is 300
Expressions

optional

`Array of Objects`



Parameters for adding expressions when creating Data Source

Parameters Details
Name

required

`string`

Name of the Expression

Expression



required

`string`

Expression


Parameters for editing Data Source

NOTE: To edit a Data Source via API, all parameters are optional. Only provide the parameter that needs to be changed.

Parameters for modifying expressions when editing Data Source

Parameters Details
Name

required

`string`

Name of the Expression

Expression



required

`string`

Expression


Action



optional

`string`

add/delete/edit

By default, it is add.

NewName

optional

`string`

For renaming the expression. This is applicable only if the Action is edit

Connection Sample for Table Mode

For creating connection:

"Connection":
{
"Servername": "string",
"IntegratedSecurity": "false",
"Username": "string",
"Password": "string",
"Database": "string",
"Schemaname": "Cubes",
"Tablename": "string",
"Impersonate": "false",
"AdvancedSettings": "string",
"CommandTimeout": "300",
"Expressions" : [{
"Name": "Expression1",
"Expression" : "SUM(numeric expression)"
    },
    {
"Name": "Expression2",
"Expression" :  "UPPER(string expression)"
}]
}

For editing connection:

"Connection":
{
"Servername": "string",
"IntegratedSecurity": "false",
"Username": "string",
"Password": "string",
"Database": "string",
"Schemaname": "Cubes",
"Tablename": "string",
"Impersonate": "false",
"AdvancedSettings": "string",
"CommandTimeout": "300",
"Expressions" : [{
"Name": "Expression1",
"Expression" : "SUM(numeric expression)",
"NewName" : "Sum",
"Action": "edit"
    },
    {
"Name": "Expression2",
"Expression" :  "UPPER(string expression)"
"Action": "delete"
}]
}

Connection Sample for Code View Mode

"Connection":
{
"Servername": "string",
"IntegratedSecurity": "false",
"Username": "string",
"Password": "string",
"Database": "string",
"Query": "string",
"Impersonate": "false",
"AdvancedSettings": "string",
"CommandTimeout": "300",
"Expressions" : [{
"Name": "Expression1",
"Expression" : "SUM(numeric expression)"
    },
    {
"Name": "Expression2",
"Expression" :  "UPPER(string expression)"
}]
}

Data Transformation

Editing a Data Connection

Dashboard Designer Walkthrough

Microsoft SQL Server Analysis Services Integration