Deployment Utility (Analysis Services - Multidimensional Data)

The Microsoft.AnalysisServices.Deployment utility lets you start the Microsoft SQL Server Analysis Services deployment engine from the command prompt. As input file, the utility uses the XML output files generated by building an Analysis Services project in Business Intelligence Development Studio. The input files are easily modifiable to customize the deployment of an Analysis Services project. The generated deployment script can then either be immediately run or saved for later deployment.

Syntax

Microsoft.AnalysisServices.Deployment [ASdatabasefile] 
    {[/s[:logfile]] | [/a] | [[/o[:output_script_file]] [/d]]}

Arguments

  • ASdatabasefile
    The full path of the folder in which the Analysis Services deployment script (.asdatabase) file is located. The deployment script file contains the object definitions to be deployed is located. If not specified, the current folder is used.

  • /s
    Runs the utility in silent mode and not display any dialog boxes. For more information about modes, see the section, Modes, later in this topic.

  • logfile
    The full path and file name of the log file. Trace events will be logged to the specified log file. If the log file already exists, the file's content will be replaced.

  • /a
    Runs the utility in answer mode. All responses made during the wizard part of the utility should be written back to the input files, but no changes will actually be made to the deployment targets.

  • /o
    Runs the utility in output mode. Deployment will not occur, but the XML for Analysis (XMLA) script that would ordinarily be sent to the deployment targets is instead saved to the specified output script file. If output_script_file is not specified, the utility tries to use the output script file specified in the deployment options (.deploymentoptions) input file. If an output script file is not specified in the deployment options input file, an error occurs.

    For more information about modes, see the section, Modes, later in this topic.

  • output_script_file
    The full path and file name of the output script file.

  • /d
    If the /o argument is used, specifies that the utility should not connect to the target instance. Because no connection is made to the deployment targets, the output script is generated based only on information retrieved from the input files.

    Note

    The /d argument is used only in output mode. This argument is ignored if specified in answer or silent mode. For more information about modes, see the section, Modes, later in this topic.

Remarks

The Microsoft.AnalysisServices.Deployment utility takes a set of files that provide the object definitions, deployment targets, deployment options, and configuration settings, and tries to deploy the object definitions to the specified deployment targets, using the specified deployment options and configuration settings. This utility can provide a user interface when invoked in answer file or output mode. For more information about how to use the user interface supplied for this utility to create answer files, see Using the Analysis Services Deployment Wizard.

The utility is located in the \Bin folder of the Analysis Services instance.

Modes

The utility can be run in the modes listed in the following table.

Mode

Description

Silent mode

No user interface is displayed and all information needed for deployment is supplied by the input files. No progress is displayed by the utility in silent mode. Instead, an optional log file can be used to capture progress and error information for later review.

Answer mode

The Deployment Wizard user interface is displayed and user responses are saved to the specified input files for later deployment. Deployment does not occur in answer mode. The only purpose of answer mode is to capture user responses

Output mode

No user interface is displayed and all information needed for deployment is supplied by the input files.

However, unlike silent mode, the output from the utility is written to an output script file, not sent to the deployment targets indicated in the input files. Unless the /d argument is specified, the utility connects with each deployment target to compare metadata while generating the output script file.

Back to Arguments

Examples

The following example shows how to deploy the Adventure Works DW sample Analysis Services project in silent mode, logging progress and error messages for later review:

Microsoft.AnalysisServices.Deployment.exe

<drive>:\Program Files\Microsoft SQL Server\100\Tools\Samples\AdventureWorks Analysis Services Project\bin

/s: C:\Program Files\Microsoft SQL Server\100\Tools\Samples\AdventureWorks Analysis Services Project\bin\deployment.log