SQL Server Analysis Services 2016 Cube with Security features enabled

Just three weeks ago, we had announced the release of the preview version of enterprise gateway. And today we are ready with an updated version of the gateway with support for two major features – connectivity to Analysis Services models, for both tabular and multidimensional models, SSAS and SAP HANA.

Live connectivity to SQL Server Analysis Services models (tabular and multidimensional)

With the updated gateway you can now connect to Analysis Services and issue live queries to both tabular as well as multidimensional models.

For multidimensional models, we use the DAX over MD capability to connect to on-premises multidimensional models and this works with Enterprise and Business Intelligence editions of SQL Server Analysis Services.

To get started:

1. Install ‘Power BI Gateway – Enterprise (Preview)’: Download the gateway from here and install it on a computer with connectivity to the data source. Learn more here. If you had installed the previous version of the gateway, you do not have to uninstall it first. This install is an in-place upgrade.

2. Once the gateway is installed, you can manage it from ‘Manage gateways’ (on the top right) in Power BI portal.

3. Select the gateway you just installed and add your SQL Server Analysis Services model as a data source. You can define who can access this data source using this gateway in the ‘Users’ tab.

4. Using Power BI Desktop (install from here), you can create a report that connected to your Analysis Services model in “live mode” by choosing the Explore live option in Power BI Desktop.

5. Publish your Power BI Desktop report connected to the Analysis Services tabular or multidimensional model and the gateway will be automatically selected for you as long as you are in the Users tab for the data source and have access to the Analysis Services database.