Developing Business Intelligence Apps for SharePoint

Chapter 37. PowerPivot Service Application Configuration

Now that the PowerPivot SQL Server Analysis Services instance is set up, it’s time to move into SharePoint where the application configuration will be done.

In this chapter, we will cover:

• PowerPivot Management Dashboard configuration

• Request allocation

  • Load balancing

  • Caching: xVelocity versus disk cache

• PowerPivot Management Dashboard usage

When you first go to Central Administration after the initial configuration of the PowerPivot Service, you will get a pop up on the PowerPivot Management Dashboard (see Figure 37-1). The error is in regard to refreshing external data sources.

Figure 37-1. External data refresh warning

PowerPivot Management Dashboard Setup

In reality, this is not an error. Excel is letting you know that you are about to refresh from an external data source. The issue here is that this will show up on every PowerPivot workbook because that is exactly what PowerPivot does; it refreshes data from external sources. This can be changed in Excel Services by unchecking the “Warn on Refresh” option, as pictured in Figure 37-2.

Figure 37-2. Disabling the external data refresh warning

It is not uncommon for the error in Figure 37-3 to show up when you start using the PowerPivot Management Dashboard as well.

Figure 37-3. Excel Services ...