Forum Discussion
Autotask Data Warehouse Integration
As a person with little database experience, and first time user to PowerBI, I would like some lay-person-level advice on how to import data from Autotask. Autotask has a Data Warehouse that, according to them, "Any reporting tool that can access Microsoft SQL Server views can use the Autotask Report Data Warehouse." (source) It seems the AS Connector is running into an issue and doesn't seem to be much of an option (I am in contact with Autotask about this). I cannot imagine this is an obscure request, perhaps there is already a work around?
Casey_Harless AutoTask won't be able to assist you, as you will need to build a Tabular model and deploy it to an SSAS (SQL Server Analysis Services) instance in your domain. The AS Connector then points at that SSAS instance.
If you are trying to use the connector - you will need to leverage the additional technologies Visual Studio (SQL Server Data Tools) and have a SQL SSAS instance.
I have been unable to direct connect to AutoTask from Power BI Desktop, so I had to pull the data I wanted into my own database using SSIS (Sql Server Integration Services - also a Visual Studio thing). I did this also so that I can leverage other company information as well. Then I built a tabular model, and deployed to my SSAS instance. Then I connected the AS Connector to my SSAS instance.
That is alot of info, so feel free to ask questions.
TLDR; You can't just hook up the AS Connector to AutoTask. It's not a model, and not in your domain.
22 Replies
Casey_Harless AutoTask won't be able to assist you, as you will need to build a Tabular model and deploy it to an SSAS (SQL Server Analysis Services) instance in your domain. The AS Connector then points at that SSAS instance.
If you are trying to use the connector - you will need to leverage the additional technologies Visual Studio (SQL Server Data Tools) and have a SQL SSAS instance.
I have been unable to direct connect to AutoTask from Power BI Desktop, so I had to pull the data I wanted into my own database using SSIS (Sql Server Integration Services - also a Visual Studio thing). I did this also so that I can leverage other company information as well. Then I built a tabular model, and deployed to my SSAS instance. Then I connected the AS Connector to my SSAS instance.
That is alot of info, so feel free to ask questions.
TLDR; You can't just hook up the AS Connector to AutoTask. It's not a model, and not in your domain.
Anonymous Thank you very much for the reply! I've used what you explained as a starting point and have spent some time getting familiar with the tools you described. What additional steps need to be taken to automate this process (going from the Autotask Warehouse to the the SSAS instance to the the Power BI application) on a daily or weekly basis?
Casey_Harless If you are following the above, then next steps would be something like this:
1) Get data from AutoTask into your database - Your SSIS process can be a scheduled SQL Agent Job
2) Create your tabular model based on the data in your database / Deploy model to SSAS Tabular SQL Instance
3) Create SSIS process to update your model - Schedule refresh of model by using SQL Agent Job
4) Download the PBI Analysis Services connector on to the instance of your SSAS Tabular model (Can be anywhere in your domain, but if you do it on the SSAS Tabular instance you don't have additional hops across your network.)
5) Connect to model in desktop or service
6) Data in your reports is automatically refreshed whenever you update your model with the SQL Agent Job
The great thing about the AS Connector is that if you connect to the model in the desktop tool, when you push that file to the Service the connection stays "live", it doesn't treat the PBIX file like an on-prem source like all the other datasources. It inherits the connection to the model and continues to just send DAX queries back and forth.
You can schedule the update of the model as often as you want, and I don't see why you couldn't create 1 SQL Agent Job with 2 steps. The first to load the data from AT, and the second to update the tabular model.
Hello, please would you mind providing details of the connector you used to get the data from Autotask via SSIS into a SQL database, I have a similar use case I need to explore, thanks in advance.
Hi Casey
I use Autotask datwarehouse and have managed to use the SQl connector to import directly to my power Bi giving me the custom dashboards I need. If this is still somehting you are having issue with then I am more than happy to do my best to help.
"Autotask datwarehouse and have managed to use the SQl connector..."
Can you please explain the process (preferably in steps) and tools/technologies required. A simple sample app can help a lot if you can upload.
Many Thanks
"Autotask datwarehouse and have managed to use the SQl connector to import directly..."
Can you please explain the process (preferably in steps) and tools/technologies required. A simple sample app can help a lot if you can upload.
Many Thanks
HHassan The Autotask warehouse is based in SQL Server. If you want to, you could directly connect from Power BI to that SQL Server, provided you are paying for the access to the database.
Get Data -> SQL Server -> Enter the Server -> Select your provisioned Database -> Enter SQL Credentials and you can access your views.
Hi Casey,
I am looking at integrating AT with PowerBI and was seeking some help in howbest to do this? Are you able to give me sone guidance?
Kind regards
Marc
Hi Marc,
Power BI can be connected directly to the AT Data Warehouse although this is not recommended by Autotask due to query speed and delays. The connection process is pretty simple :
Get Data -> SQL Server ->
Server Name : As provided by Autotask - they use the default port of 1433 so not required to be specified
Database Name : As provided by Autotask - this *must* be entered
Username : As provided
Password : As Provided
Note :- This can only be used from a limited number of locations, ensure your public IP is not changing. Consider how the design of the solution works to promote automation where possible. Consider a separate SSIS instance to periodically pull down the latest data
hi, i want to make an olap datawarehouse from oltp live database, i have to make ssis for data integration and ssas for analysis, and power bi for dashboard and reporting. I ask for help, suggestions and solutions. Thanks.
