Configure a Business Intelligence Center for a test environment

Applies to: SharePoint Server 2010, PerformancePoint Services

At this point, you have installed and configured Microsoft SharePoint Server 2010 but have not enabled certain services, such as Excel Services in Microsoft SharePoint Server 2010 or PerformancePoint Services in Microsoft SharePoint Server 2010. Those services enable robust business intelligence capabilities in SharePoint Server. However by using the baseline SharePoint Server environment that you previously configured, you do have certain capabilities that are available to you. For example, you can set up a Business Intelligence Center.

The Business Intelligence Center gives you a central location to store items, such as status indicators, reports, and dashboards. When you enable Excel Services and PerformancePoint Services, you will already have a location to store reports and dashboard content.

Video demonstration

This video shows how to set up a Business Intelligence Center.

Running time: 6:27

Watch the video.  For an optimal viewing experience, download the video. Right-click the link, and then click Save Target As to download a copy. Clicking the link opens a .wmv file in the default video viewer for full-resolution viewing.

Configuring a Business Intelligence Center

When you create and configure a Business Intelligence Center, you create a new site collection and select the Business Intelligence Center site template. The Business Intelligence Center is a top-level site on Contoso-AppSrv.

To create a Business Intelligence Center

1. Log in to Contoso-AppSrv using the Contoso\FarmAdmin account.

2. Click Start, click All Programs, click Microsoft SharePoint 2010 Products, and then click SharePoint 2010 Central Administration.

3. In Central Administration, in the Application Management section, click Create site collections.

4. In the Title and Description section, in the Title box, type BI Center.

5. In the Web Site Address section, type BICenter in the box.

   Thus, the complete URL for this site collection is http://contoso-appsrv/sites/bicenter.

6. In the Template Selection section, click the Enterprise tab, and then click Business Intelligence Center.

7. In the Primary Site Collection Administrator section, type FarmAdmin.

8. Click OK.

9. When the top-level site (Business Intelligence Center) is successfully created, click OK.

The next step is to assign user permissions by using the accounts we set up in Set up accounts for a BI test environment. We will assign permissions for the Business Intelligence Center as listed in the following table:

First, we will assign Read permissions to the Contoso\BICenterRead group.

To set Read permissions on the Business Intelligence Center

1. Navigate to the Business Intelligence Center (http://contoso-appsrv/sites/bicenter).

2. Click Site Actions.

3. Click Site Permissions.

4. Click Grant Permissions.

5. In the Users/Groups box, type Contoso\BICenterRead.

6. Under Grant Permission, select BICenter Visitors [Read].

7. Click OK. Keep the Permissions: BICenter page open.

Next, we will assign Contribute permissions to the Contoso\BICenterContribute group.

To set Contribute permissions on the Business Intelligence Center

1. In the Permissions: BICenter page, click Grant Permissions.

2. In the Users/Groups box, type Contoso\BICenterContribute.

3. Under Grant Permission, select BICenter Members [Contribute].

4. Click OK. Keep the Permissions: BICenter page open.

The next step is to assign Design permissions to the Contoso\BICenterDesign group.

To set Design permissions on the Business Intelligence Center

1. In the Permissions: BICenter page, click Grant Permissions.

2. In the Users/Groups box, type Contoso\BICenterDesign.

3. Under Grant Permission, select Designers [Design, Limited Access].

4. Click OK. Keep the Permissions: BICenter page open.

Finally, we will assign Full Control permissions to the Contoso\BICenterFullControl group.

To set Full Control permissions on the Business Intelligence Center

1. In the Permissions: BICenter page, click Grant Permissions.

2. In the Users/Groups box, type Contoso\BICenterFullControl.

3. Under Grant Permission, select BICenter Owners [Full Control].

4. Click OK.

Although we do not cover this in the labs, you can now use the Business Intelligence Center to create Web Part Pages, status indicators, and status lists. For more information, see Getting started with SharePoint status indicators.

Adding links to the Quick Launch

After you have created and configured the Business Intelligence Center, your next step is to add links to the Quick Launch. In the Business Intelligence Center, we will add a Documents library link and a link to the main team site. Then, in the main team site, we will add a link to the Business Intelligence Center.

In the Business Intelligence Center, the Documents library will contain reports and files, such as Excel Services workbooks, Visio Services files, and more. The Documents library for the Business Intelligence Center already exists. It was created automatically when we created the Business Intelligence Center. We only have to add the Documents library on the Business Intelligence Center Quick Launch, and then add a link to the main team site.

To add the Documents library and a link to the Quick Launch in the Business Intelligence Center

1. In the Business Intelligence Center, click Site Actions, and then click View All Site Content.

2. Right-click Documents, and then click Copy shortcut.

3. In the Business Intelligence Center, click Site Actions, and then click Site Settings.

4. Under Look and Feel, click Navigation.

5. In the Navigation Editing and Sorting section, click Current Navigation, and then click Add Link.

6. In the dialog box that opens, type Documents in the Title box, paste the link that you copied in Step 2, and then click OK to close the dialog box. (Do not close the navigation settings yet.)

7. In the Navigation Editing and Sorting section, select Documents, and then click Move Up until Documents is the first item listed under Current Navigation.

8. In the Navigation Editing and Sorting section, click Global Navigation, and then click Add Link.

9. In the Title box, type Contoso.

10. In the URL box, type http://contoso-appsrv, and then click OK.

11. Click OK to close navigation settings. Verify that Documents appears at the top of the list in the Quick Launch.

To make it easier for site users to locate the Business Intelligence Center, you can add a link on the main team site Quick Launch.

To add a link on the main team site Quick Launch

1. Browse to the main team site (http://contoso-appsrv/).

2. Click Site Actions, and then click Site Settings.

3. Under Look and Feel, click Quick Launch.

4. Click New Navigation Link.

5. In the URL section, in the Type the Web address box, type http://contoso-appsrv/sites/bicenter.

6. In the Type the description box, type Business Intelligence Center.

7. Click OK.

Next steps

Now that you have finished setting up your baseline test environment, you can choose to configure additional services. For more information, see any of the following resources:

• Configure Excel Services for a BI test environment

• Configure Visio Services for a BI test environment

• Configure PerformancePoint Services for a BI test environment

• Enable Reporting Services in an integrated SharePoint Server BI test environment

• Configure Access Services for a BI test environment

See Also

Concepts

Create a baseline environment for a BI test environment