Planning Server topologies
Updated: 2009-04-30
PerformancePoint Planning includes three tiers of components: client, server, and storage. Each tier consists of an array of components. The client tier consists of Planning Business Modeler, PerformancePoint Add-in for Excel, Planning Administration Console, Reporting, and the PerformancePoint Planning Command Utility. The server tier consists of Planning Web Service, Planning Process Service, Planning Administration Console Web site, and SQL Server 2005 Reporting Services (SSRS). The storage tier consists of Planning System Database and Planning Service Database, Planning application databases and optional staging databases and outbound databases, SQL Server Analysis Services databases, and a File Server or Microsoft Office SharePoint Server or Windows SharePoint Services database.
PerformancePoint Server 2007 support for extranets, hosting, and external connector
Extranets (specifically, authenticating users on computers that are not joined to a trusted Active Directory directory service domain) are not supported by PerformancePoint Server 2007. We are investigating options to provide this support in a future release.
PerformancePoint Server 2007 does not support single-server multi-tenant environments. Customers must deploy multiple servers to achieve a multi-tenant environment for data or user accounts. We are investigating options to provide this support in a future release.
The External Connector (EC) license does not imply or declare product capability (such as extranet or hosting support). The EC is simply an alternative licensing model to CALs that permits any number of external users with a valid Active Directory domain account on a computer joined to a trusted domain to access PerformancePoint Server 2007.
Supported topologies
The following is a logical topology of Planning Server with the connectivity protocols shown.
.gif "logical topology diagram")
Following is a description of the components shown in the diagram.
Server tier
Planning Web Service: This service handles requests from the Planning Administration Console site, Planning Business Modeler, PerformancePoint Add-in for Excel, and the Planning Command Utility. The main tasks from these client components are for business-model content design, business process design, model site deployment, and generation of SQL Server and AS databases. These components also handle tasks such as loading data to the Application database, synchronizing the staging database with the Application database, and making changes to system configuration settings.
Planning Process Service: This server runs as the Windows service Planning Process Service. It handles job processing and data submissions from PerformancePoint Add-in for Excel and also cube processing requests. The Process Services Server uses SQL Server 2005 Service Broker.
Storage tier
SQL Server Planning System and Planning Service Databases: The computer running Microsoft SQL Server 2005 holds the relational tables used by the Planning Process Service server and Planning Web Service server. It also holds tables that define the different PerformancePoint Server application servers. There is one set of the Planning System and Planning Service Databases per installation of PerformancePoint Server.
Planning Application, Planning Staging, and Planning Outbound Databases: The Planning ApplicationDatabase contains the metadata, reference data, and fact data, and workflow definitions for the application. It also holds the relational tables for the application, staging, and outbound databases. There is one set of these databases per PerformancePoint Server application, although staging and outbound databases are optional. Each set can be installed on a different computer running SQL Server.
SQL Server 2005 Analysis Services (SSAS) databases: The Analysis Services databases hold the dimensional structure, cubes, and calculations for each model defined for the model site. Each PerformancePoint Server application contains a minimum of one model site. Each application could be deployed to one to x number of SSAS databases. The smallest SSAS deployment unit is one SSAS database per model site within the application.
SQL Server 2005 Reporting Services (SSRS): This server provides the operational reporting capabilities for PerformancePoint Server. This is usually the same physical server as the Planning Application Database server.
Shared Storage (Microsoft Office SharePoint Server or Windows SharePoint Services OR File Server): This server provides the shared storage for PerformancePoint Server form templates and reports. It can be implemented as a Microsoft Office SharePoint Server or Windows SharePoint Services database or File Server database.
Client tier
Planning Business Modeler: This application runs on a Windows XP or Windows Vista computer. This is the design environment for the PerformancePoint Planning Server application. It can also be used to load reference and fact data from external sources.
PerformancePoint Add-in for Excel: This application runs in Office 2003 and Office 2007; it is used to create forms and reports, to start jobs, and to enter data.
Planning Administration Console: This application runs in an Internet Explorer browser. It is used to set up applications and configuration values for PerformancePoint Server. It can be used remotely or locally.
Planning Command Utility: This is a command-line tool that is useful for an array of administrative work on Planning Server.
External data sources
External data sources include, but are not limited to:
.csv files for PerformancePoint Planning Business Modeler.
.xml files.
Microsoft Dynamics AX. Data can be imported into PerformancePoint Planning by means of the Microsoft Dynamics AX Import Wizard.
Existing SQL Server databases.
Sample physical topologies
These servers shown in the above Planning Logical Topology diagram could be deployed on a number of different physical computers. Performance data can be found in this white paper to help guide your individual server configurations. Some sample configurations are discussed below.
Proof of concept: Single computer
All three tiers of components, including SQL Server databases, Analysis Services, Planning Web Service, Planning Administration Console, Planning Process Service, Planning Business Modeler, and PerformancePoint Add-in for Excel are installed on the same computer.
Basic configuration: Three servers
In a three-server topology, the first computer has SQL Server 2005 Service Pack 2 (SP2) installed. The second computer has SQL Server 2005 Analysis Services Enterprise Edition installed, and the third computer has Planning Server (Planning Process Service, Planning Web Service, and Planning Administration Console) installed and configured.
This is a basic deployment, such as for a design or test environment or a small organization. In this example, a file share is being used instead of Windows SharePoint Service 3.0 or Microsoft Office SharePoint Server 2007.
| Server | Platform | Server type |
|---|---|---|
Server1 |
SQL Server |
Planning System and Planning Service Databases Planning Application, Planning Staging, and Planning Outbound Databases |
Server2 |
Analysis Services |
Analysis Services database |
Server3 |
Internet Information Services (IIS) |
Planning Web Service Planning Administration Console Planning Process Service |
.gif "three-server topology")
Sample configuration: Five servers
In a five-server topology, install SQL Server on the first computer, Analysis Services on the second computer, Planning Web Service and Planning Administration Console on the third computer, Planning Process Service on the fourth computer, and Windows SharePoint Services 3.0 or Office SharePoint Server 2007 on the fifth computer.
| Server | Platform | Server type |
|---|---|---|
Server1 |
SQL Server |
Planning System and Planning Service Databases Application Planning Staging Database Outbound databases |
Server2 |
Analysis Services |
Analysis Services database |
Server3 |
IIS |
Planning Web Service and Planning Administration Console |
Server4 |
Windows Server 2003 |
Planning Process Service |
Server5 |
Windows SharePoint Services (or Office SharePoint Server) or File Share |
Shared storage |
.gif "three-server topology")
Sample configuration: Ten-servers
This sample deployment of a ten-server topology shows the scalability of Planning Server. Each server can be installed on more than one computer for scalability purposes. This example shows each server installed on two computers. You can scale out each server to any number of computers, depending on your system's load and performance requirements. For example, you can put SQL Server on five computers, with Server1 containing PPSPlanningSystem and PPSPlanningService databases, and Server2 through Server5 containing Planning application#1 to application#4.
The tenth server has Windows SharePoint Service 3.0 or Microsoft Office SharePoint Server 2007 installed.
| Server | Platform | Server Type |
|---|---|---|
Server1 |
SQL Server |
System and Service DB’s |
Server 2 |
SQL Server |
Application, Staging and Outbound DB’s |
Server 3 |
Analysis Services |
Analysis Service database |
Server 4 |
Analysis Services |
Analysis Service database |
Server 5 |
IIS |
Planning Web Service |
Server 6 |
IIS |
Planning Web Service |
Server 7 |
Planning Process Service |
|
Server 8 |
Planning Process Service |
|
Server 9 |
IIS |
Planning Administration Console site |
Server 10 |
Windows SharePoint Services (or Office SharePoint Server) or File Share |
Shared storage |
.gif "Diagram of a ten-server topology")
Connectivity chart
The following chart shows the connectivity protocols among each of the Planning Server components. See the Planning Logical Topology Diagram earlier in this article for an illustration.
| Role | Protocols | Connectivity | Endpoints |
|---|---|---|---|
Planning Business Modeler |
HTTP:/HTTPS SOAP |
Always connected |
Planning Web Service server |
Planning Administration Console |
HTTP:/HTTPS SOAP |
Connected |
Planning Web Service server |
PerformancePoint Add-in for Excel |
HTTP:/HTTPS SOAP ADOMD.NET |
Connected or offline (through offline assignments) |
Planning Web Service server Analysis Services database server Shared storage server (Office SharePoint Server 2007, Windows SharePoint Services 3.0, or File Server) |
Planning Web Service server |
HTTP:/HTTPS SOAP ADO.NET ADOMD.NET |
Always connected |
Planning Business Modeler Planning Administration Console PerformancePoint Add-in for Excel System and Service servers (SQL Server) Planning Application, Planning Staging, and Planning Outbound Database servers (SQL Server) Analysis Services |
Planning Process Service server |
ADO.NET ADOMD.NET |
Always connected |
Planning System and Planning Service Database servers (SQL Server) Planning Application, Planning Staging, and Planning Outbound Database servers (SQL Server) Analysis Services |
Ports
| Component | Port information |
|---|---|
Planning Web Service |
The default port for Planning Web Service is 46787. The default port for Planning Administration Console is 46788. |
SQL Server |
Default ports are used for SQL Server and SQL Server Analysis Services. The Analysis Services port needs to be open for use by PerformancePoint Add-in for Excel. |
Download this book
This topic is included in the following downloadable book for easier reading and printing:
See the full list of available books at Downloadable content for PerformancePoint Planning Server.