SSAS

Microsoft SQL Server’s Analysis Services is an advanced data engine used in analytical processing, data mining, and business intelligence reporting. SSAS uses a number of services in SQL Server related to business intelligence and data warehousing.

IBM Manta Data Lineage currently scans:

• Reports

• Datasets

• Data sources

Check out the guides below for more details on setting up this scanner.

• SSAS Integration Requirements
• SSAS Resource Configuration
• SSAS Manual Inputs

SSAS Scanner Overview

Because the SSAS scanner requires the user to manually obtain database sources, it is necessary to move the input files to a folder whose structure matches that of the actual SSAS server and database environment.

The SSAS server is one level above a database. It is possible to have multiple SSAS databases inside a single SSAS server. This structure can be seen in SQL Server Management Studio. It also corresponds to the way exporting data to an .xmla file is described above. You select one database (out of many) inside the server for export, and it produces a single .xmla file that is only for the selected DB. It is necessary to move the file to a folder with a structure that matches the one inside the SSAS server. So, for example, avoid putting databases with the same name in the same input directory—it would be the same as having two databases with the same name inside a single server. To summarize, SSAS server = input folder, SSAS database = .xmla file.

It is not necessary to have one connection per SSAS input file. If it matches the real environment, then it should be safe and more intuitive to share the same connection for all databases on a single server. But especially during initial testing, it is common to see some testing databases using the same dummy name inside a single input folder (e.g., different versions of the same DB testing different features) that produces incorrect output. In the latter case, it is safer to use one connection per input file.

Extraction and Analysis Phase Scenarios

Extraction Phase

For the extraction phase for SSAS server, there are two scenarios.

1. SSAS extractor scenario — technical scenario required by Manta Data Lineage; it extracts the dictionary definitions for each configured SSAS connection from the user-provided SSAS models

2. SSAS ingestion scenario - pulls inputs from git Manta Flow Agent Configuration for Extraction:Git Source or a remote agent filesystem location Manta Flow Agent Configuration for Extraction:Agent Source

Analysis Phase

For the analysis phase for SSAS server, there is only one scenario.

1. SSAS server dataflow scenario — harvests metadata and lineage from the provided SSAS projects and saves it in your Manta Data Lineage metadata repository