SSAS Manual Inputs

This page explains the specific structure and files accepted by this scanner. See Manta Flow Usage: Preparing Scanner Inputs for additional methods how to provide these inputs via Process Manager or Orchestration API. Check Ingest Source Support how to use Manta Agent to obtain input files from a remote machine or Git.

To analyze SSAS project files:

• Copy all XMLA or BIM files extracted from SSAS to the <MANTA_DIR_HOME>/input/ssas/${ssas.dictionary.id} folder, where ssas.dictionary.id is the identification of the server (if not changed in the configuration).

How to extract SSAS inputs

• Able to obtain the database source as an XML or JSON file

  • By exporting the database using Microsoft SQL Server Management Studio

    • Log in as a user who is a member of a group with Full Control (Administrator) permissions for the database

    • Right click on SSAS Database in the object explorer

    • Select Script → Script Database As → CREATE To → File

    • Save the export as an *.xmla file

  • By copying the source file of the model from Microsoft Visual Studio

    • Automatic Data Lineage supports two types of these files: one with a *.bim extension and the second with a *.asdatabase extension.

    • The *.bim file does not contain the real name of the model. Instead, all models are named SemanticModel. This can cause problems when multiple models are analyzed under the same server.

    • The *.asdatabase file contains the real name of the model. The model must be deployed first. Keep in mind that if the model isn’t deployed, the file may be outdated or missing.

    • The *.asdatabase file is supported, only for SSAS Tabular Models.

    • Here's how to copy the *.bim file from Microsoft Visual Studio.

      • Find the Analysis Services Tabular Model file in the Solution Explorer window and click on it.

      • Check the properties of the file and obtain the full path.

      • Copy the *.bim file specified by the path.

    • Here's how to copy the *.asdatabase file from Microsoft Visual Studio.

      • Deploy the model by clicking the Build button and then the Deploy Solution button in the upper-left corner.

      • Find the Analysis Services Tabular Model file in the Solution Explorer window and click on it.

      • Check the properties of the file and obtain the full path.

      • Open the path pointing to the *.bim file in your file manager.

      • From the directory with the *.bim file, continue to the directory obj and then Development.

      • Copy the file with the *.asdatabase extension.

Input Example

For this example, consider an input folder representing the SSAS server that contains two database files: one as Model.bim and the other as an Example.xmla file.

If the database name in Model.bim is different than the one in Example.xmla, the analysis will process them correctly.

If both files represent the same database (databases with the same name), this will cause the previously described error—having two databases with the same name inside a single server. The database name is not given by the file name or suffix; it is specified inside the source file. The database file's name does not actually have any meaning and won't influence the lineage, but it is recommended to use the name of the database inside to clearly distinguish what database it represents.

If both files actually represent the exact same database, only one needs to be used as analysis input (it doesn't matter which one); for example, place only Example.xmla in the input folder.

If you need to analyze the databases from both the Model.bim and Example.xmla files (e.g., if they are different versions of the same database), it is necessary to place each file into its own separate folder.