Forum Discussion
Report Server architecture and licensing question
I'm not licensing expert, but I think no.
-Even though technically and internaly is PBIRS composed of several components (Web Portal, SSRS, PowerBI and SSAS (in tabular diskless mode)) and SSAS is key performance component, from customer, installation and licencing point of view it is only one component = PBIRS. And all cores where PBIRS is running (regadless which internal componet uses which cores) must be licensed.
-By default PBIRS is running on all cores which is avaliable on machine. And you need licence for all cores where PBIRS can potentialy run.
-It is mean, if you have 8core machine, you need 8licences (4x 2pack). If you want limit number of cores, it must unavaliable on OS level (e.g. turning off in BIOS, or lower virtual cores on virtual machine).
-But with EE with SA you have two option how to licence. On virtual cores (for each core on virtual machine you need licence), or physical cores (for each physical core on physical machine you need licence, regardless number of virtual machines and total number virtual cores, which can be much more).
To second question, I'm not sure, but I think is not possible, but most importatntly it is not good way. Main difference between import mode and live connection mode is not technical backgroud (both is based on xVelocity engine), but developing cost and user learning path. For Import mode PBI, user need only Power BI Desktop RS, and average user, can produce nice PBI reports within ten minutes. But for Live connection mode, mean for design dedicated tabular model, which bring more opportunities (like much larger models, incremental update, multiple reports per model, and so on), you need advanced user, and need more developer tools (like visual studio or tabular editor) and much more SSAS experience. In my real practise, we have on PBIRS thousands Import mode small reports, but only tens dedicated SSAS models (but in total size much larger then all import mode reports. These are two way, for different approach, but both are correct. Yes, there is challenge how to balance performance, one option is to licence physical cores, and balance power between virtual machines using virtual cores, which you can change anytime.
Thank you josef78 for your very, very clear explanation!
Two more questions, just to be sure:
Regarding licensing, from your answer to question 6. I assume the PBIRS checks the number of cores that are licensed and uses only the licensed number of cores for the xVelocity engine. Right?
You wrote that I'll probably face use case where I want to use the import mode even though I have a separtate SSAS. Nevertheless, would it possible for the administrator to forbid publishing import mode files so that using live connection to the SSAS is enforced? Then I could set up a large machine for SSAS and a small machine for PBIRS without running into users complaining about slow (import mode) reports.
BR,
Martin
I'm not licensing expert, but I think no.
-Even though technically and internaly is PBIRS composed of several components (Web Portal, SSRS, PowerBI and SSAS (in tabular diskless mode)) and SSAS is key performance component, from customer, installation and licencing point of view it is only one component = PBIRS. And all cores where PBIRS is running (regadless which internal componet uses which cores) must be licensed.
-By default PBIRS is running on all cores which is avaliable on machine. And you need licence for all cores where PBIRS can potentialy run.
-It is mean, if you have 8core machine, you need 8licences (4x 2pack). If you want limit number of cores, it must unavaliable on OS level (e.g. turning off in BIOS, or lower virtual cores on virtual machine).
-But with EE with SA you have two option how to licence. On virtual cores (for each core on virtual machine you need licence), or physical cores (for each physical core on physical machine you need licence, regardless number of virtual machines and total number virtual cores, which can be much more).
To second question, I'm not sure, but I think is not possible, but most importatntly it is not good way. Main difference between import mode and live connection mode is not technical backgroud (both is based on xVelocity engine), but developing cost and user learning path. For Import mode PBI, user need only Power BI Desktop RS, and average user, can produce nice PBI reports within ten minutes. But for Live connection mode, mean for design dedicated tabular model, which bring more opportunities (like much larger models, incremental update, multiple reports per model, and so on), you need advanced user, and need more developer tools (like visual studio or tabular editor) and much more SSAS experience. In my real practise, we have on PBIRS thousands Import mode small reports, but only tens dedicated SSAS models (but in total size much larger then all import mode reports. These are two way, for different approach, but both are correct. Yes, there is challenge how to balance performance, one option is to licence physical cores, and balance power between virtual machines using virtual cores, which you can change anytime.