Create a PowerPivot data connection (PerformancePoint Services)

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Applies to: SharePoint Server 2010 Enterprise

PerformancePoint Services in SharePoint Server 2010 supports PowerPivot models as a data source. You can use data in a PowerPivot model and build interactive dashboards using PerformancePoint Services features such as Key Performance Indicators (KPIs), Scorecards, Analytic Charts, Analytic Grids and Filters.

Note

PerformancePoint Services accesses external data sources by using a delegated Windows identity. Consequently, external data sources must reside within the same domain as the SharePoint Server 2010 farm. If external data sources do not reside within the same domain, authentication to the external data sources will fail. For more information, see Planning considerations for services that access external data sources.

Create a PowerPivot data source connection

To use PowerPivot as a data source within PerformancePoint Services dashboard, you must have PerformancePoint Services activated on a SharePoint Server 2010 farm and have PowerPivot for SharePoint 2010 installed. Once a PowerPivot model is created, it must be uploaded to a SharePoint Server site that has PowerPivot for SharePoint enabled.

Important

You must apply the hotfix detailed in the Microsoft Knowledge Base article When you run a .NET Framework 2.0 based application, a System.AccessViolationException exception occurs, or a deadlock occurs on two threads in an application domain (Article ID 975954) in order to use PowerPivot as a data source in PerformancePoint Services.

Important

You must have ADOMD 10 installed on the server on which you are authoring the Dashboard in order to access a PowerPivot workbook as a data source.

In PerformancePoint Services, the security setting for data sources is stored in each data source. By using PowerPivot as a data source, you can authenticate either using an unattended service account or a Per-user identity. Per-user identity requires Kerberos protocol.

securitySecurity Note
You cannot authenticate to a PowerPivot data source by selecting the Unattended Service Account and add authenticated user name in connection string option.

Important

Time Intelligence is not supported for PowerPivot data sources.

To Create a PowerPivot data source connection

  1. Click the Create tab, and then click Data Source.

  2. In the Category pane of the Select a Data Source Template dialog box, click Multidimensional and then click Analysis Services. Click OK.

  3. In the left navigation pane (workspace browser), type the name of your data source.

  4. In the center pane, click the Editor tab. In the Connection Settings section, select Use the following connection.

  5. Type the connection string to the PowerPivot data source by using the following format: DATA SOURCE=http://contoso/Documents/PowerPivot_Sample.xlsx

  6. Select the cube from the drop-down menu. The cube name for a PowerPivot model will always be Sandbox.

  7. In the Data Source Settings section, select the method on which to authenticate to the data source.

  8. From the Formatting Dimension list, select desired dimension formatting needed for the report.

  9. From the Cache Lifetime list, type the refresh rate (in minutes) for the cache. Data from this data source will update at this interval.

  10. Click Test Connection to confirm that the connection is configured correctly.

Video demonstration

To view a demonstration of how to create a PowerPivot data connection in PerformancePoint Services, watch the following video.

Video: Create a data connection to SQL Server

Watch the video | To download a copy of the video, right-click the link, and then click Save Target As.