Looking Cubes Remotely from Excel

Technically once you join to a different community via a VPN connection you’ll be able to see all allowed machines on that community. So it’s straightforward to hook up with a SQL Server occasion utilizing SQL Server authentication. Nonetheless, I’m explaining this half for a few of you guys that could be new to connecting from Excel on to a database on SQL Server and create flashy studies on Excel.

However, what about connecting straight from Excel to a distant Evaluation Providers occasion with out utilizing Home windows Authentication? You’re proper! I’m saying you’ll be able to join straight from your individual Excel to a distant SSAS server with out utilizing home windows authentication. Nicely, technically there is no such thing as a SQL Server Authentication mode out there for Evaluation Providers. So what does that really imply after I say “with out utilizing home windows authentication”? For those who’re interested by discovering the reply hold studying this text.

Situation:

You’re working as a BI guide, you’ve been instructed {that a} consumer must have some easy studies on Excel as follows:

·         You need to connect with the consumer’s server utilizing a supplied VPN connection

·         The VPN connection could possibly be established via a Home windows VPN, Cisco VPN and so on. so the VPN consumer or the port and protocol used don’t truly matter

·         Microsoft Excel is NOT put in on the consumer’s server

·         You’re NOT allowed to put in Excel on the server

·         As it’s a expensive course of the consumer won’t setup a digital machine of their community so to remotely connect with it and set up Excel then connect with their SQL Server/Evaluation Providers situations

·         There isn’t a belief relationship between your community and the consumer’s community, so your area person identify and password couldn’t be authenticated on the consumer’s community

·         The consumer must have some studies on Excel on prime of a SQL Server database and OLAP cubes on Evaluation Providers (SSAS)

·         You could have the correct to run an software as administrator on the distant server

·         You want to connect with the distant server straight from your individual Microsoft Excel put in in your machine

·         The consumer additionally supplied a distant desktop entry to the server

·         On the distant desktop SQL Server Administration Studio (SSMS) is put in

·         Within the distant SQL Server your account is a member of the “securityadmin” server position so you’ll be able to create a brand new SQL Server Login

The VPN connection could possibly be various from consumer to consumer. Some use Cisco VPN connection, some use Home windows VPN, Fortinet VPN and so forth. Really it doesn’t matter in any respect which VPN Shopper you’re going to make use of. What issues is which you could connect with the consumer’s community utilizing the VPN connection supplied.

·         Open command immediate in your machine and ping the consumer’s server to be sure to can see the server out of your machine

·         Connect with the server utilizing distant desktop. Use the person identify and password the consumer supplied

·         To hook up with the distant SQL Server occasion from your individual Excel:

a.       Open SSMS on the distant desktop and connect with the SQL Server occasion

b.      Test the SQL Server authentication mode. To take action, proper click on on the server and click on properties. Then choose the “Safety” web page. In my pattern the server authentication is already set to blended mode.

c.       If the server authentication is about to “Home windows Authentication mode” then click on on “SQL Server and Home windows Authentication mode” and click on OK

d.      As you see SSMS says you want to restart SQL Server to all configuration adjustments take impact. Click on OK

e.      Be sure to are allowed to restart the server. Particularly should you’re doing this in TEST or PRODUCTION servers. Restart SQL Server by proper clicking on the server and click on “Restart”

f.        In SSMS develop the server, develop “Safety”, proper click on on “Logins” then click on on “New Login”

g.       Configure the brand new login as under

h.      Thus far we created a SQL Server use login. We’ll use this person login once we need to connect with the distant server from our personal machine.

i.         Open Microsoft Excel by yourself machine

j.        Choose “From SQL Server” from the ribbon

okay.       Enter the distant server identify. Click on “Use the next Consumer Identify and Password” then click on Subsequent

l.         Choose the database from the dropdown checklist. Then choose the desk you want to create the report on and click on subsequent then click on end on the following web page.

m.    Now you’ll be able to create the report by yourself Excel pointing to a distant server on the consumer’s community.

·         To hook up with the distant Evaluation Providers occasion from your individual Excel:

a.       Open “Management Panel” and click on on “Consumer Accounts” to attempt to create a brand new “Native” person account. Clearly, you don’t have entry rights to create a “Area” account.

b.      For those who couldn’t create a “Native” person via the “Consumer Accounts” UI, then open CMD as administrator. Sort the under command, put a specific person identify and password as you need and press enter:

internet person <YOUR USER NAME HERE> <PASSWORD HERE> /add

c.       After urgent enter, if CMD says “The command accomplished efficiently.” then you definitely’re good to go.

d.      The above command creates a brand new person account with the password you typed on the native machine. The person entry degree for the brand new person can be “Commonplace person”. You may test this from “Consumer Accounts” in Management Panel.

e.      If CMD says “Entry is denied.” then you want to contact the consumer’s system admin asking for create a neighborhood person with “Commonplace person” degree of entry. You’ll want this person to be mapped on an SSAS position accessing the OLAP database that you just’re going to create the report on prime of it.

f.        Open SSMS and connect with the corresponding Evaluation Providers occasion and develop “Databases”, develop the corresponding OLAP database and proper click on on the “Position” and click on “New Position”

g.       From Basic web page, enter a reputation like “Reporting” for the position then tick the “Learn definition”

h.      Choose “Membership” web page then add the brand new native person you created. In our pattern it’s “Take a look at”

i.         Choose “Cubes” web page and choose “Learn” entry to for the dice(s), then click on OK.

j.        Now we’re finished with the distant desktop, so now you can logoff

okay.       Open Excel from your individual machine and click on “From Evaluation Providers” from “From Different Sources” from “DATA” ribbon

l.         Enter the distant server named adopted by the SSAS occasion identify

m.    Click on on “Use the next Consumer Identify and Password”

n.      Enter that new home windows native person you created within the distant machine on step “C”

o.      Click on “Subsequent”

p.      Choose the dice or some other views you want from the checklist and click on “Subsequent”

q.      Click on “End”

r.        Now you’ll be able to create any studies you wanted

Mission completed, get pleasure from it!

UPDATE: I’m requested about safety issues utilized to the above resolution, so I’d like to boost some vital factors:

1. Safety is extremely vital and the above resolution could possibly be used if there may be:

   • no area belief relationship between your community and the opposite get together so to connect with their community utilizing your area credentials

   • no VM (or an actual server field) on the consumer’s having Excel so to connect with a database and create requested studies

2. You need to go for the above resolution solely after getting your consumer’s approval. In any other case, your consumer will in all probability blame you for creating SQL Server OR native Home windows person accounts

3. The above resolution must be a TEMPORARY resolution for a brief time frame so to ship some Excel studies to your consumer rapidly with out loading any additional prices in your consumer’s shoulder