Entering Text in Excel Addin Forms- Not Possible

This time I just want to share with you something new which I tried along with my team due to curiosity.

Objective: “Our Objective was to check whether we can submit the text data instead of numeric in PPS, by using Excel Add-In form.The reason is when we create the measure in the PPS its gets created as a float data type in the Model Database. We assumed that if we change the data type in database it should work”
What we did:We straight away went ahead and changed the data type of the measure in the Table in SQL Server 2005.

1. Processed the cube
2. Created the Data Entry Form by using Excel Add-In by selecting the required dimensions and the Measure which we created as a Character Data Type.
3. Created the Cycle in the Business modeler and published the form.
4. Opened the data entry form as a assignment and we were able to see the yellow data entry region on the form. So far so good.
5. We started entering the numeric and text values on the form as our assumption was it just submits the data in the database without doing any validation, because we have already changed the data type of the destination field
6. But we were wrong. Excel Add-in immediately flashed the error message that only numeric data type was allowed.

Conclusion: Hence we concluded that we cannot use PPS Excel add-in to enter text data as it has some built-in intelligence/Validation which gets fired when the submit button is hit and restricts user to do so.
I wanted to share this experience as I feel there would be lot many users like me who must be thinking why we can’t use the Excel add-in form to enter the Text data.
Will keep on updating you all with the new developments at our end :), till then cheers

Most Common Errors User Encounter While working on PPS

While working with the various components of PPS, there are certain scenarios when the user encounters some errors, two such scenarios are mentioned below

SCENARIO 1

• Error message 1
  When you use the PerformancePoint Add-in for Excel to connect to PerformancePoint Server, you receive the following error message:
  The request failed with HTTP status 503: Service Unavailable.
• Error message 2
  When you use Planning Business Modeler to connect to Performance Point Server, you receive the following error message:
  The attempt to connect to the server (http:// ServerName:46787/) failed. Verify that the URL is correct and that the server is available.
• Error message 3
  When you use the Planning Administrator Console to connect to PerformancePoint Server, you receive the following error message: Service Unavailable

Possible Cause of the Errors
These errors are flashed on screen because the password of the specific service identity is expired or is invalid. The specific service identity is the service identity of the application pools that are used by PerformancePoint Server.

To resolve the mentioned errors, follow the below mentioned steps:

1. Click Start, click Run, type Inetmgr, and then click OK.
2. In the Internet Information Services (IIS) Manager dialog box, expand ServerName (local computer), expand Application Pools, right-click PPSPlanningAdminConsoleAppPool, and then click Properties.
3. In the PPSPlanningAdminConsoleAppPool Properties dialog box, click the Identity tab.
4. In the Password box, type the correct password, and then click Apply.Note Use the password for the user whose name appears in the User name box.
5. In the Confirm Password dialog box, type the password again, and then click OK.
6. Click OK to close the PPSPlanningAdminConsoleAppPool Properties dialog box.
7. Repeat steps 2 through 6 for the PPSPlanningWebServicesAppPool application pool.
8. Close the Internet Information Services (IIS) Manager dialog box.
9. Click Start, click Run, type IISReset, and then click OK. This step will restart the IIS and the fresh settings done will be reflected.

SCENARIO 2

Error message in Planning Business Modeler when you connect to a server that is running Planning Server: "You cannot access this server because you do not have the appropriate permissions"

Possible Cause
This problem occurs because the user has not been assigned to one of the following administrative roles:

1. User Administrator
2. Data Administrator
3. Modeler (This role is Mandatory. You need not be the User Administrator or Data Administrator to access the Model from Business Modeler. all the three roles are required for a Stand Alone Installation)

To resolve this problem, add the user to the appropriate administrative role. To do this, follow these steps:

1. Open the PerformancePoint Planning Administration Console and follow below mentioned steps:
   a. Log on to the computer by using a user account that has been assigned the User Administrator role.
   b. Start a Web browser.
   c. In the address bar, type http://Server_Name:46788, and then press ENTER.Note The Server_Name placeholder is a placeholder for the name of the server that is running Planning Server.
2. On the Connection page, type http://Server_Name:46787 , and then click Connect.If you successfully connect to the server that is running Planning Server, you receive the following message in green text:
   Connected to the computer running Planning Server.
3. Add the user who receives the error message that is mentioned in the "Symptoms" section to one of the following administrative roles:

• User Administrator
• Data Administrator
• Modeler

Notes:

1. If you add a user to the User Administrator role for an application, the user has administrative permissions in all the model sites in the application.
2. If you add a user to the User Administrator role for a model site, the user has administrative permissions in the model site only.
3. To open a model site and to use Planning Business Modeler, members of the Global Administrator role must also belong to another administrative role.

Hope this will help you to get going :)

PerformancePoint Server 2007 Service Pack 1 Release

You can download SP1 from the following locations:
PerformancePoint Server 2007 Service Pack 1 (x86): http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?FamilyId=28B1F86B-B7F2-4215-8BC9-8F8507FF8831&displaylang=en
PerformancePoint Server 2007 Service Pack 1 (x64): http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?FamilyId=6245C354-9191-4C4D-8C0C-C10D6C778AF8&displaylang=en
PerformancePoint Server 2007 Evaluation Version (x86): http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?FamilyId=6372C24F-67DD-42DD-B034-748907B23420&displaylang=en
PerformancePoint Server 2007 Evaluation Version (x64): http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?FamilyId=3ADAC793-DEF0-4BA8-A9AB-228979B8DB40&displaylang=en

I have taken the above contents from the Microsoft Site for faster reference and convenience of having it at one click.
SP1 includes following New Features:
For Monitoring Services

1. Windows Server 2008 : Installation of PerformancePoint Server 2007 SP1 on Windows Server 2008 is now supported.
2. SQL Server 2008: Although not yet fully supported, SQL Server 2008 data sources can be used.
3. Scorecard key performance indicators (KPIs) : Expand and Collapse commands can be used on scorecards that have hidden parent KPIs.
   KPIs : Multidimensional Expressions (MDX) statements are not limited to 1,000 characters when they are used in KPIs.
4. Scorecard values: Negative numbers can be used in a scorecard without causing text to wrap.
5. Dashboard filters : PerformancePoint Dashboards show improved performance when filters are applied.
6. Time Intelligence Post Formula filter : Time Intelligence Post Formula filters.
7. Display Condition : You use Display Condition functionality to link a key performance indicator (KPI) to a report, so that when dashboard users click the KPI, the linked report appears. In PerformancePoint Server 2007 SP1, you can now specify a default report to display before dashboard users click that KPI.
8. Dashboard filters and SQL Server Reporting Services reports: You can link multi-select dashboard filters to multi-select Reporting Services report parameters.
9. Sample data: The sample data file has been updated.
   

For Planning Services

1. PerformancePoint Add-in for Excel offers a new workbook option:
   Clear changes after workflow action.When you set the Clear changes after workflow action option to True, PerformancePoint Add-in for Excel automatically clears any changes after the workflow action occurs when the form is used in an assignment. This can help improve performance of subsequent queries, such as queries done during a workbook refresh. However, if the submission fails when this option is set to True, the user will not be able to re-submit the changes and the changes will be lost.
2. PerformancePoint Add-in for Excel offers a new workbook option: Enable what-if analysis.
   When you set the Enable what-if analysis option to True for a matrix, PerformancePoint Add-in for Excel automatically performs what-if calculations that show the effect that the change will have on an assignment if it is submitted.
   If this option is set to False, PerformancePoint Add-in for Excel does not apply any changes to the matrix. This can help improve query performance.
3. The Data Import Wizard is now decoupled from Microsoft Dynamics AX. The wizard now works with any source data provider.
   The Data Import Wizard is now a generic data integration wizard that requires customers and partners to develop their own data providers for integrating source financial data. Microsoft provides the PerformancePoint 2007 Data Integration Toolkit. This toolkit is a companion tool that provides a data integration framework. You can use this framework to create your own data providers.
   You can obtain the PerformancePoint 2007 Data Integration Toolkit (http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkId=117552&clcid=0x409) from Microsoft Download Center.
4. PerformancePoint Add-in for Excel fixes a previous issue in the Report Wizard.
   Before the SP1 release of PerformancePoint Server, filter value selections in a report that was created by using the Report Wizard, did not behave as expected. They were not limited by filter scope.
   After installation of SP1, filter value selections in a report that is created by using the Report Wizard will behave as expected. That is, filter value selections will be limited based on the filter scope.
5. PerformancePoint Add-in for Excel offers a new workflow action for assignments: Discard Submitted RDL & Workbook.
   When you select the workflow action Discard Submitted RDL & Workbook for an assignment, the input form that is used in the assignment reverts to the original input form template for the assignment. Submitted data is not affected.

Creating Application in Planning Administration Console

Microsoft Office Performance Point Server 2007 (PPS 2007) is an integrated performance management application that provides monitoring, analytics, and planning capabilities. It helps businesses Managers in various ways. It can be
a. Monitoring Goals
b. Monitoring Business Performance
c. Identifying and Analysing the Issues well in advance
d. Budgeting, Planning and forecasting the business performance by defining the KPI's

Lets talk about how to start creating an Application in PPS 2007.
Getting started with PPS 2007, First step is to create the Application using PAC (Planning Administration Console)
Note: All the components should be installed required by the PPS 2007.

You can open the PAC by typing the URL http://localhost:46788/ in the web browser.46788 is the default port where the PAC site gets created while installing the Planning server and you can view the properties of PAC site by exploring IIS(Internet Information Server) under Default Web Site item.

Once connected to the PAC, the user will be able to create the Application, Model Site, Users.
It is very important to identify the users and roles at this moment so that the role assignment can be done appropriately. You have to define/Assign the roles based on the business requirements and Organization structure. The proper role assignment will be useful in accessing the Business Model which is the next step for the User to create using Planning Business Modeler.

Planning Server includes four predefined administrative roles, which support the separation of responsibilities within an organization:
· Global Administrator
· Modeler
· Data Administrator
· User Administrator
Each role enables its members to perform a specific set of tasks within a specific scope. These roles are configured in Planning Administration Console. Administrative roles are used to grant appropriate permissions to key personnel in an organization. The ability to perform tasks in Planning Business Modeler is determined by your roles.

In PAC the user will have to specify the Application Database Name (Mandatory) and Staging Database name (optional). This will be the Database which will be referred by the Model in the later stage.

There are lots of other properties which the user can set in PAC. But in case if the other properties are not set then the Application will define the default one.

If the Users and Roles are not defined properly in PAC for an application then there will be issues in creating/Accessing the model in Business Modeler. I will talk about some of the issues in my next session.

To get more information on Planning Server of PPS you can browse the below mentioned link: http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/bb905546(TechNet.10).aspx