Will Thrash's Blog

Business Intelligence

Problem using an SSAS data source in IBM Cognos Framework manager

When trying to use a Microsoft SSAS OLAP cube data source in Framework Manager you get this error message:

MO-ERR-0028 The user starting the process doesn’t have the correct privileges

The solution is as follows:

  1. Use a network domain account for the Cognos service
  2. On Cognos server, in Local Security Settings under Local Policies/User Rights Assignment add the cognos service account to “Act as part of the operating system”
  3. ON SQL Server give cognos service security access to cube
  4. For the SSAS Data Source in Cognos Connection use IBM Cognos 8 service credentials for Signon.

May 6, 2009 Posted by | SQL Server, Business Intelligence, IBM Cognos | , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

Business Intelligence in the Clouds

Cloud computing is high on hype but I think it’s going to cross the chasm. Cloud computing is IT infrastructure as a service. It is on-demand CPU, disk space and software that is virtual and scalable and available via the Internet. It opens the possibility of any software developer to have a web app available that can grow or shrink with demand. For example, a store front may need to grow by orders of magnitude over the Christmas holiday shopping season but need much less capacity in the following months. A cloud solution allows you to pay for what you use. This scalable infrastructure on demand seems to be a great architecture for a business intelligence solution except for two questions. Will it meet security requirements and will there be enough bandwidth to transfer data to the data repositories?

 

At Market Street Solutions we are researching the use of cloud computing resources in business intelligence and performance management. We are creating example architectures in Microsoft, IBM Cognos and QlikView. My project is to create a prototype Microsoft Business Intelligence server in the cloud. I will be using Microsoft SQL Server with Analysis Services and Reporting Services along with SharePoint and PerformancePoint on an Amazon EC2 instance.

 

I’m building a model BI server on Amazon’s Compute Cloud — EC2. The process involves creating key pairs, security groups, Elastic Block volumes, images, instances, AMI’s, S3 buckets and several other terms that that business intelligence professionals didn’t use on a daily basis, if ever. I think that this is going to shake the foundations of IT and the way we build systems.

April 15, 2009 Posted by | Business Intelligence, Cloud Computing, PerformancePoint, SQL Server | , , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

Installing PerformancePoint on SQL Server 2008

If you are installing PerformancePoint Monitoring Server on SQL Server 2008 there are some prerequisite steps.  PerformancePoint Monitoring Server requires SQL Server 2005 client component software.  After SQL Server 2008 is installed and properly updated, then Cumulative update package 9 for SQL Server 2005 Service Pack 2 must be installed.  This CU9 is a hotfix and has to be requested at http://support.microsoft.com/kb/953752

 

After applying the SQL Server 2005 update, PerformancePoint 2007 can be installed but not configured until after PPS SP2 is applied.

 

Microsoft’s Technet has step by step instructions for these installations and updates at:

http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/dd335966.aspx

March 25, 2009 Posted by | Business Intelligence, PerformancePoint, SQL Server | , , , , , | Leave a Comment

Microsoft Business Intelligence Webinar – 3/17/09

We are presenting a free webinar on Changes in Microsoft’s BI Strategy at 2pm on Tuesday, March 17th. We will introduce Microsoft’s BI strategy, explain how it evolved, show how organizations can benefit from recent licensing changes, and give a live demo of creating scorecards and dashboards.

In January, Microsoft announced a major change in their business intelligence product strategy. PerformancePoint – Microsoft’s dashboard, analytics and scorecard creation software – will no longer be a standalone product and going forward will be included with SharePoint Enterprise. This is a significant change considering that previously PerformancePoint Server carried a list price of $20,000 per server and $199 per user. Now firms that already own SharePoint Enterprise and SQL Server can use PerformancePoint to begin creating and deploying business intelligence solutions.

Details and registration can be found at Changes in Microsoft’s Business Intelligence Strategy

March 16, 2009 Posted by | Uncategorized | , , , , | Leave a Comment

SQL Server 2008 SSAS training scheduled

We are scheduled to deliver the Microsoft course – 6234 Implementing and Maintaining Microsoft SQL Server 2008 Analysis Services – at New Horizons in Chattanooga on 4/27/09 – 4/29/09.  This should be the beginning of a great partnership between Market Street Solutions and New Horizons.  We can leverage our expertise in business intelligence using Microsoft SQL Server and Dynamics combined with New Horizon’s learning center and training sales and administration experience.

March 11, 2009 Posted by | Training | , , , , , | Leave a Comment

Training courses

Preparing for a four day private training course for a client.  We are delivering Intro to Business Intelligence, SQL Server 2008 Analysis Services (SSAS), SQL Server 2008 Integration Services (SSIS), Sql Server 2008 Reporting Services (SSRS) and PerformancePoint/SharePoint dashboard and scorecard building. 

I recently was made a Microsoft Certified Trainer along with one of my colleague, Carl Sheffield.  We, along with Jeff Wall, MCT in process, will be delivering the courses.  The time is abreviated so our objective is to achieve a learner level of understanding of business intelligence and the Microsoft tools involved.  They will have heavy hands-on labs to make them comfortable with the basic use of the tools.

It’s amazing how much more you learn about a subject when you have to prepare to teach it.

March 10, 2009 Posted by | Training | , , , , , , | Leave a Comment

   

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