bi4dynamics nav installation manual (dwa edition) · bi4dynamics nav installation manual page 8...

BI4Dynamics NAV

Installation Manual

(DWA Edition)

Last update: May 2020

Version 7.5

Revision 1.9

BI4Dynamics NAV Installation Manual

Content

1. Installation ...............................................................................................................................3

1.1. Installing BI4Dynamics ................................................................................................................................... 3

1.2. Deploying BI4Dynamics ................................................................................................................................ 6

1.2.1. Providing license information ................................................................................................................................ 6 1.2.2. Creating an instance .................................................................................................................................................. 7 1.2.3. Adding data sources .................................................................................................................................................. 8 1.2.4. Selecting Companies and Global Dimensions ................................................................................................ 8 1.2.5. Selecting Framework module .............................................................................................................................. 10 1.2.6. Deploying and processing Framework module ............................................................................................ 11

1.3. Get Metadata ................................................................................................................................................. 12

1.3.1. Update from NAV ..................................................................................................................................................... 12 1.3.2. Update from Instance folder ................................................................................................................................ 12 1.3.3. New changes in NAV tables required Update from NAV ......................................................................... 12 1.3.4. Troubleshooting ........................................................................................................................................................ 12

1.4. Installing Data Warehouse Automation (DWA) files ....................................................................... 13

1.4.1. Get latest DWA files ................................................................................................................................................. 13 1.4.2. Install DWA files ........................................................................................................................................................ 13

1.5. Edit process flow (Optional) ..................................................................................................................... 16

1.5.1. Explanation of process flow top form functionality .................................................................................... 16 1.5.2. Explanation of process flow table functionality ............................................................................................ 16 1.5.3. Moving stored procedure from one object group to another ............................................................... 17 1.5.4. Setting up process flow property manually in stored procedure .......................................................... 17

1.6. Deleting instance .......................................................................................................................................... 18

2. Connecting Excel reports to cubes ..................................................................................... 19

2.1. Changing connection .................................................................................................................................. 19

2.1. Creating a new connection ....................................................................................................................... 19

3. Connecting Power BI reports to cubes ............................................................................... 21

3.1. Changing connection .................................................................................................................................. 21

3.2. Creating a new connection ....................................................................................................................... 21


1. Installation

1.1. Installing BI4Dynamics

IMPORTANT! Before installing BI4Dynamics, please check hardware and software requirements, make

sure you have sufficient permissions and an active internet connected.

IMPORTANT! The installation process has to be started on the server where BI4Dynamics data

warehouse will be created.

1. Double-click BI4Dynamics.exe to start the installation*.

*Always start BI4Dynamics as an administrator

Note: The name of the file varies based on the version you are using.

2. Follow the instructions on screen.

3. Accept the license agreement.

4. Choose Default or Express option


5. The installer will check for some of the prerequisites. If you fail any of the tests you can click on

the result to see the error. You have to fix the problem before you can rerun the test. Once all

the tests are successfully completed you can continue with the installation.

6. If a correct version of Shared Management Objects, Analysis Management Objects or .NET

Framework are not installed, please click the Install button, which will trigger the installation of

correct version of SMO’s, AMO’s, CLR Types or .NET Framework.

7. Select the folder where you would like to install BI4Dynamics. You can choose to create a

shortcut on the desktop and/or in the start menu.

8. Confirm the configuration and begin the installation of BI4Dynamics.

9. Click Finish after the installation is completed.


1.2. Deploying BI4Dynamics

Deploying a BI4Dynamics solution is a six step process:

1. Providing license information

2. Creating an instance

3. Adding the data sources

4. Selecting companies

5. Selecting modules

6. Deploying and processing the selected modules

When you open the application, an instance wizard will start to guide you through the configuration.

1.2.1. Providing license information

1. Launch BI4Dynamics.exe from the folder where BI4Dynamics was installed to open the

application.

Note: The default installation location is C:\Program Files (x86)\BI4Dynamics NAV. Application can also be started

from the Desktop shortcut or from the Start Menu shortcut.

2. Enter the BI4Dynamics online license key

OR

- Follow the instructions on screen to receive an offline license key (in case you don’t have the

internet connection or port 80 on the server is closed).


Note: If you experience any problems with authorization, please contact us via [email protected].

3. Click Next.

1.2.2. Creating an instance

1. Type the Name of the new instance.

2. Select what Language the solution will be deployed in.

3. Select or Type in the SQL Server Instance name where the BI4Dynamics Data Warehouse will

be deployed.

4. Type in the Database Name of the BI4Dynamics Data Warehouse.

5. Authentication type: Windows Authentication

6. Type in the Analysis Server name where the BI4Dynamics OLAP cubes will be deployed.

7. Type in the Analysis Database Name of the BI4Dynamics OLAP cubes.

8. The default values for SQL Database file Locations (data and log files) and SQL Database

Collation are entered automatically. Check and refresh or modify if necessary.

9. Check SQL Integration Service to process BI4Dynamics using the Integration services (parallel

processing).

10. Click Next.

mailto:[email protected]


1.2.3. Adding data sources

1. Select the SQL Server Instance, where the source database is located.

2. Select the Database Name of the source database.

3. Choose Authentication type: Windows or SQL Server (with SQL Server Authentication you also

need to provide your user name and password).

4. Select your Dynamics source version – Data Source Version.

5. Click Test to test the connection to the data source. If the connection is successful click Add to

add the selected source database to the solution.

- Note: You can add more than one data source by clicking Add again. Each data source you add will be coloured

differently.

6. Click Next.

1.2.4. Selecting Companies and Global Dimensions

1. From the list of companies tick the ones you want to include in your instance and configure

additional settings for each selected company:

a. Country: local country description (e.g. Great Britain) – from NAV

b. Company short name: User-friendly name (e.g. CRONUS)

c. Local Currency: local currency code (e.g. GBP) – from NAV

d. Additional Currency: select the additional currency code for this company (e.g. USD)

e. Dimensions:

i. Click Initialize global dimensions (delete the dimension by clicking the X button

next to the dimension name if one or more dimension will not be used in the

project)

ii. Click Add dimension to add the company dimensions and map it to

corresponding global dimension. Mapping is done automatically, but you can

manually change it if needed. (delete the dimension by clicking the X button next

to the dimension name

iii. Continue adding and mapping dimensions for other selected companies. Only

click Initialize global dimension if there are additional dimensions not present in

the first company.


2. Click Next.


1.2.5. Selecting Framework module

1. Select Framework module. You can also select any other module(s) available, but that will

deploy standard scripts from the application, thus effectively disabling the DWA Edition for

selected module(s).

2. Click Next.


1.2.6. Deploying and processing Framework module

1. In the last step select the tasks you want the wizard to perform:

a. Deploy – deploys BI4Dynamics data warehouse and OLAP cubes to the specified SQL

server

b. Process – transfers data from you source database to the BI4Dynamics data warehouse,

executes the ETL procedures and populates the OLAP cubes

c. Automatic update – creates an agent job on the data warehouse SQL server with the

specified name and schedule. The job will run on schedule and update the solution.

2. Click Run.

3. A log file is displayed to monitor the installation progress.

4. After successful processing the Data Warehouse and Framework OLAP cube, you can move on

to installing Data warehouse Automation files.


1.3. Get Metadata

NAV Metadata table is base for modeling and running BI4Dynamics DWA edition. Metadata must be

retrieved before working with Data Warehouse Automation files. BI4Dynamics reads metadata from two

NAV tables – Object Metadata and NAV App Object Metadata.

1.3.1. Update from NAV

Get Metadata from the Customize tab by clicking on Get Metadata and selecting Update from NAV

option.

Metadata will be stored as a .bi4meta file in the “0 Setup” folder in BI4Dynamics instance folder.

1.3.2. Update from Instance folder

After Metadata are retrieved from NAV, you should set Get Metadata – Update from Instance folder

option as reading from file is bit faster.

Set Auto update to Yes so that when data warehouse is deleted and re-created, Metadata tables are

automatically retrieved too.

1.3.3. New changes in NAV tables required Update from NAV

If there are changes in NAV tables that need to be implemented in BI project then setup needs to be

set to “Update from NAV” again.

1.3.4. Troubleshooting

If you experience error on Get Metadata, please contact us at [email protected]



1.4. Installing Data Warehouse Automation (DWA) files

1.4.1. Get latest DWA files

Get the latest DWA files from BI4Dynamics. You will need to apply the files correctly to the newly created

instance following the procedure below.

1.4.2. Install DWA files

1. Copy folders 1 through 6 into the newly created BI4Dynamics instance folder and overwrite the

existing folders

2. On Deploy Tab, check “Deploy manual scripts only” and click Deploy All.

3. On Customize tab click Get Metadata; Wait until the process is successful.

4. Go to Customize tab and click Reload Wizard Sources

5. and then Manage Dimensions


6. Click Generate All

7. Close the Manage Dimensions tab

8. Click Manage Cubes

9. If necessary, Delete the cubes you do not need and choose second option: ”Cube and dimensions

used on selected cubes”. Click Yes.

10. Click Generate All


11. Close the Create Cube tab

12. Uncheck “Deploy manual scripts only”

13. On Deploy tab, click Deploy & Process All, overwriting existing DW and SSAS database

For troubleshooting, please contact us on [email protected].



1.5. Edit process flow (Optional)

Process flow is used to determine the sequence of execution of stored procedures when processing

data with BI4Dynamics. Editing process flow is completely optional and it’s usually connected with

custom development.

1.5.1. Explanation of process flow top form functionality

1. Edit existing Process flow or Add a new one

2. Reset the Process flow (return to original state) or Reload Process flow (include stored procedures

saved in BI4Dynamics folder structure)

3. Select Full or Incremental Processing type

4. Process All (Stage, Data Warehouse and Analysis Database)

5. Process just one on the above.

6. Create a new Object Group (standard 1-13)

7. Add or Remove a SSIS package from file

1.5.2. Explanation of process flow table functionality

1. Object group name.

All stored procedures within object group are executed before the next Object group is executed.

Each Object group forms a separate SSIS package which is executed on processing.

2. Select/unselect a stored procedure to be executed on processing

3. Run the stored procedure manually from the application

4. Object subgroup name. Stored procedures within an Object subgroup are executed

successively, while different Object subgroups within same Object group are executed in

parallel.

5. Rename Object Subgroup option


1.5.3. Moving stored procedure from one object group to another

Right-click on a stored procedure gives you an option to move it to a different Object group if

needed (on reset Process flow the stored procedure will be moved back to original Object

subgroup).

1.5.4. Setting up process flow property manually in stored procedure

Permanently moving a stored procedure to a different Object group is possible by adding a

DECLARE clause in the stored procedure itself:

By adding or changing declare statement store procedure’s execution flow is determined.


1.6. Deleting instance

1. Open the instance you would like to delete by clicking File and selecting the instance in the list

on the right.

2. Click File > Delete.

3. Click Yes to confirm the action.

IMPORTANT! When deleting an instance, the Data Warehouse and Analysis Database will be deleted.

Note: BI4Dynamics Instance folders and the log file are not removed during the delete process.

Uninstalling BI4Dynamics

1. Click Start > Settings > Control Panel.

2. Click Add or Remove Programs.

3. From the list of installed programs, select BI4Dynamics.

4. Click Remove.

5. Follow the instructions on screen.

IMPORTANT! User files will not be removed when uninstalling the solution.


2. Connecting Excel reports to cubes

2.1. Changing connection

1. Open Excel report

2. Click Data > Connections > Properties >Definition

3. Type the database name to the Initial Catalog property of the Connection string. Type the

server name to the Data Source property of the Connection string.

2.1. Creating a new connection

4. Open Microsoft Excel

5. Click Data > Get External Data > From other Data Source > From Analysis Services.

6. Insert a server name. If local server make “.”.


7. Click Next.

8. Select Analysis database from the dropdown menu and select Application area you wish to

analyse.

9. Click Finish.

10. Import data

11. Click OK. Start exploring your data


3. Connecting Power BI reports to cubes

3.1. Changing connection

1. Open Power BI report

2. Click Edit Queries > Data source settings

3. Type the Server name to the Server field. Type the Database name to the Database field

3.2. Creating a new connection

4. Open Power BI Desktop

5. Click Get data

6. Choose SQL Server Database to connect do BI4Dynamics data warehouse database or SQL

Server Analysis Services database to connect to the cubes

7. Type the Server name to the Server field. Type the Database name to the Database field.

8. Choose Import or DirectQuery (SQL Database) and Import or Connect live (SQL Analysis

Database)


9. Click OK and start exploring your data

10. If you have chosen Import, select the tables you want to import

11. Click Load

12. If you have chosen Direct Query, select the cube you want to connect to and click OK

bi4dynamics nav installation manual (dwa edition) · bi4dynamics nav installation manual page 8...

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