1. From SSAS to Azure Analysis Services - Lessons learned
Niels Skytte
From SSAS to Azure Analysis Services - Lessons learned

2. BIG Thanks to SQLSat Denmark sponsors

3. Agenda: Deployment Processing Security Monitoring Debugging Stability
Works, not quite done with CI/CD
Processing
Lots of options, have tried most, using ssms, ssis, azure runbook
Security
Eventually got it working, AD/AAD, internal vs external
Monitoring
Azure Portal okay, still waiting for full access
Debugging
xEvents, limited need so far
Stability
One issue in 4 months
Performance
Just seem to work
Capacity
No issues with our current setup
Questions, any time

4. My professional background’ish
Geologist by education
Data geek by choice
Process expert by necessity
Entrepreneur because it had to be tried

5. Human ‘analysis’ Using S4 and/or waiting for something bigger
Have heard/read about it
Have tested with my own data
Using it in production now
Running all our Analysis Service in Azure
Using S4 and/or waiting for something bigger

6. What do you have running
Size poll
What do you have running
D1…
B1..
B2…
S0…
S1…
S2…
S4…

7. Okay, so then…………….. Introduction Lets move on What we’ve learned
What is different
Feature differences
Lets move on
Features explained
Scenarios
What we’ve learned
Security
Performance
Debugging
Interactive session
What works and what does not ?
I’m screwed
You know more than me
Who will take over?
Why did you go to an intermediate session?
Let’s just go for beers

8. Our short Analysis Server history
Some issues with performance
Licensing was good fit (BI SPLA)
1100 missing vital features (bi-directional etc.)
SQL 2012 (1100,1103)
No significant changes
We ran 2012 SP1
SQL 2012 SP1, 2014 (1103)
Licensing changed, not a good option in our setup Performance (super DAX)
Feature set good Ran 2016 in development
SQL 2016,2017 (1200)
Azure pay as you go
B2B support
Performance (super DAX)
Features latest and greatest
AAS/SQL 2017 (1400)

9. Azure Analysis Services
11/8/ :25 AM
Azure Analysis Services Architecture
Cloud visualization tools
Cloud data sources
Azure Analysis Services
Other data sources
SQL Database
Power BI
Direct Query
SQL Data Warehouse
Cached Model
Power BI Embedded
Gateway
On-premises data sources
Authoring and development tools
On-premises visualization tools
This is a high-level architecture view.
Analysis Services is now part of the cloud solution. If your data sources are all in the cloud such as Azure SQL DW and SQL Database, no on-premises infrastructure is required. Client such as Power BI Desktop, Excel, and 3rd party tools connect directly to the cloud. For Azure Analysis Services to access on-premises data sources, the On-premises data gateway is required. One per Analysis Services server is required to support the volume and performance requirements of the Azure Analysis Services workload.
Other data sources
SQL Server
Visual Studio
Excel
Direct Query
Analytics Platform System
Teradata
Oracle
Cached Model
Power BI Desktop
Third party BI tools
Note: not all capabilities available at public preview
© 2014 Microsoft Corporation. All rights reserved. MICROSOFT MAKES NO WARRANTIES, EXPRESS, IMPLIED OR STATUTORY, AS TO THE INFORMATION IN THIS PRESENTATION.

10. Our history
Started with SSAS 2012 on VMs Wanted/needed to move to 2016 features bi-directional performance Was part of AAS preview program Price was the main hurdle, so it was all or nothing

11. Deployment Deploy via VS Via VSTS
No issues besides the usual (use BISM normalizer)
Have experienced the analysis instance to crash when deploying models in development
So do use separate dev/test when testing (for dev use integrated ws)
Via VSTS
Working on CI workflow (not quite done)

12. Processing
Gateways
If you are running the old version upgrade (see monitoring later)

13. Processing – in production (dev is easy)
Options
SSIS
2012 – Webhook to runbook
2014 – Webhook to runbook
2016 – Direct via process task
Direct via PS
Azure Automation
PS based runbook

14. Processing – Create runbook
See:
$AzureCred = Get-AutomationPSCredential -Name "aas-refresh"
Add-AzureRmAccount -Credential $AzureCred | Out-Null
Invoke-ProcessASDatabase -databasename “adventureworks" -server "asazure://northeurope.asazure.windows.net/demo" -RefreshType "Full" -Credential $AzureCred

15. Process in SQL 2012-14 via webhook
Run powershell command via sql agent:
$request =' token id>'
Invoke-RestMethod -Method Post -Uri $request

16. Processing – SSIS 2016
Make note of your target version
Then it works

17. Processing – SSIS 2016 If you get Then get the right libraries

18. Security Service Principals Firewall now supported
Firewall now supported

19. Security
We’re a small company providing services to many larger ones AAD B2B was a major reason for moving to AAS Initial we had issues with using ‘groups’ but now it works 

20. Security - Firewall

21. Security Invite users – with or without email
$cred = Get-Credential Connect-AzureAD -Credential $cred $invitations = import-csv -Delimiter ";" C:\temp\inviteusers.csv $messageInfo = New-Object Microsoft.Open.MSGraph.Model.InvitedUserMessageInfo $messageInfo.customizedMessageBody = “Welcome! You are now a member of our tenant” foreach ($ in $invitations) {New-AzureADMSInvitation -InvitedUser Address $ .InvitedUser Address -InvitedUserDisplayName $ .Name -InviteRedirectUrl myapps.Microsoft.com -InvitedUserMessageInfo $messageInfo -SendInvitationMessage $true}
$cred = Get-Credential Connect-AzureAD -Credential $cred $invitations = import-csv -Delimiter ";" C:\temp\inviteusers.csv foreach ($ in $invitations) {New-AzureADMSInvitation -InvitedUser Address $ .InvitedUser Address -InvitedUserDisplayName $ .Name -InviteRedirectUrl -SendInvitationMessage $false}

22. Monitoring
Watch for memory and QPU in the portal for now, no support for

23. Monitoring
In the portal for now, running B1

24. Monitoring

25. Monitoring ‘Old’ Gateway memory leak

26. Monitoring – new gateway
With mashup a total of 620 MB

27. Monitoring – new gateway

28. Debugging Haven’t had too much need (luckily ), but check out:
Or just use XEvents in SSMS for live tracing

29. Stability
Only real stability issue experienced has been with deploying ‘untested’ models to production.

30. Performance Just works, no issue 
For checking real-time processing check out:

31. Capacity
Really choose what you need in terms of features

32. What we learned
Stabil and good performance Feature set keeps improving B2B works and has improved

33. BIG Thanks to SQLSat Denmark sponsors

34. ?