Microsoft SSAS (SQL Server Analysis Services)
This article outlines the integration with Microsoft SQL Server Analysis Services (SSAS), enabling streamlined metadata management through features such as crawling, profiling, querying, data preview, and automatic lineage building. The connector discovers tabular model metadata, including schemas, tables, columns, and relationships, and supports Query Sheet execution for DAX and MDX queries.
The connector establishes connectivity to Azure Analysis Services through ADOMD (MSOLAP) using the OvalEdge SSAS Reader (.NET plugin) invoked by the SsasDto Java middleware. Authentication is performed using an Azure AD service principal (Tenant ID, Application ID, Application Secret, and Azure Analysis Services URL), enabling access to metadata through Analysis Services Dynamic Management Views (DMVs) and DAX queries.
Overview
Connector Details
Connector Category
RDBMS
OvalEdge Release Supported
Release6.0 and later
Connectivity
[How the connection is established with Microsoft SSAS (SQL Server Analysis Services)]
ADOMD (MSOLAP)
Connector Features
Crawling
✅
Delta Crawling
❌
Profiling
✅
Sample Profiling
✅
Query Sheet
✅
Data Preview
✅
Auto Lineage
✅
Manual Lineage
✅
Secure Authentication via Credential Manager
✅
Data Quality
❌
DAM (Data Access Management)
❌
Bridge
✅
Metadata Mapping
The following objects are crawled from Microsoft SSAS (SQL Server Analysis Services) and mapped to the corresponding UI assets.
Schema
Database name (Catalog)
Schema
Databases
Schema
Schema
Schema comment
Source Description
Databases
Schema
Cube (internal)
Cube caption
-
-
-
Table
Dimension / Measure group name
Table
Tables
table
Table
Table type
Type
Tables
table
Table
Table comment
Source Description
Descriptions
Source Description
Columns
Column name
Column
Table Columns
-
Columns
Data type
Column Type
Table Columns
-
Columns
Description
Source Description
Table Columns
-
Columns
Ordinal position
Column Position
Table Columns
-
Columns
Is visible
Custom Field (tcf1)
Table Columns
-
Columns
Hierarchy origin
Additional Information
Table Columns
-
Relationships
Source table/column
Left table/column
Relationships
-
Relationships
Destination table/column
Right table/column
Relationships
-
Views (Lineage)
Deployment model file (.asdatabase)
View / Code
Views
View
-
View query/definition
View Query
Views
View
Set up a Connection
Prerequisites
The following are the prerequisites to establish a connection:
Ensure that the SSAS Application (ODBC/API service) is installed and running on the designated server before configuring the connector in OvalEdge. For more details, click here.
Whitelisting Ports
Ensure the inbound port is whitelisted for OvalEdge to connect to the Microsoft SSAS (SQL Server Analysis Services) database.
Ensure that the updated port number is specified during connection setup, the port is whitelisted, and communication between the system and SQL Server is properly established.
External Supporting Files
The required external JAR files are included as part of the OvalEdge installation artifacts. For driver installation and configuration details, refer to the Connector Drivers Setup Guide. Please contact the OvalEdge Team for assistance related to the driver files and configuration setup.
Service Account User Permissions
It is recommended to use a dedicated service account to establish the connection to the data source, configured with the following minimum set of permissions.
👨💻 Who can provide these permissions? These permissions are typically granted by the Microsoft SSAS (SQL Server Analysis Services) administrator, as users may not have the required access to assign them independently.
Connection Validation
Connection / Azure AAS
ADOMD Server Connection (MSOLAP), $SYSTEM.MDSCHEMA_CUBES
Read (Metadata)
Crawling
Schema
$SYSTEM.MDSCHEMA_CUBES
Select (DMV)
Crawling
Tables
$SYSTEM.MDSCHEMA_DIMENSIONS, $SYSTEM.MDSCHEMA_MEASURES
Select (DMV)
Crawling
Table Columns
$SYSTEM.MDSCHEMA_MEASURES, $SYSTEM.MDSCHEMA_LEVELS
Select (DMV)
Crawling
Foreign Keys / Relationships
$SYSTEM.DISCOVER_CALC_DEPENDENCY
Select (DMV)
Profiling
Tables / Table Columns (Tabular Model)
Tabular Model (DAX)
Read / Execute (DAX)
Query Sheet / Lineage
DAX Queries; Deployment Files; SQL Objects
Tabular Model (DAX/DMV); Local *.asdatabase files
Execute (DAX) / Read (File) / N/A
The connector uses SsasDto (Java) as middleware, which invokes the OvalEdge SSAS Reader (.NET plugin) to connect to Azure Analysis Services via ADOMD (MSOLAP) using an Azure AD service principal (Tenant ID, Application ID, Application Secret) with IsOnPrem=false.
The Sys Tables column lists the SQL Server Analysis Services Dynamic Management View (DMV) rowsets and DAX objects queried by the .NET plugin for connection validation, metadata discovery, relationship extraction, query execution, and profiling.
The Azure AD application (service principal) must have the required Read (Metadata) access to the Azure Analysis Services instance and appropriate permissions to query the listed DMVs and execute DAX queries for metadata retrieval, profiling, and Query Sheet operations.
Lineage building is performed by parsing local .asdatabase deployment files and does not query Azure Analysis Services metadata. SQL object-based lineage is not supported by this connector.
Connection Configuration Steps
Users are required to have the Connector Creator role in order to configure a new connection.
Log into OvalEdge, go to Administration > Connectors, click + (New Connector), search for Microsoft SSAS (SQL Server Analysis Services), and complete the required parameters.
Fields marked with an asterisk (*) are mandatory for establishing a connection.
Connector Type
By default, "Microsoft SQL Server Analysis Services" is displayed as the selected connector type.
Credential Manager*
Select the desired credentials manager from the drop-down list. Relevant parameters will be displayed based on your selection.
Supported Credential Managers:
OE Credential Manager
AWS Secrets Manager
HashiCorp Vault
Azure Key Vault
For more details, click here.
License Add Ons
Select the checkbox for Auto Lineage Add-On to build data lineage automatically.
For more details, click here.
Connector Name*
Enter a unique name for the SQL Server connection
(Example: "SQL Server_Prod").
Connector Environment
Select the environment (Example: PROD, STG) configured for the connector.
For more details, click here.
Connector description
Enter a brief description of the connector.
Port*
Enter the port number configured for the OvalEdge SSAS Reader (.NET plugin). Ensure the port is accessible and whitelisted to allow communication between OvalEdge and the plugin.
Tenant id*
Enter the Azure AD Tenant ID (Directory ID) associated with the service principal used to authenticate with Azure Analysis Services.
App id*
Enter the Azure AD Application (Client) ID of the service principal registered to access Azure Analysis Services.
App Secret*
Enter the Client Secret associated with the Azure AD application used for authentication.
URL*
Enter the Azure Analysis Services resource URL used to acquire the Azure AD OAuth access token.
SSAS Server*
Enter the fully qualified Azure Analysis Services server name (for example, asazure://<region>.xxx.xxxx.net/<server-name>) that the connector will use to connect to the Azure Analysis Services instance.
Deployment File Path
Enter the directory path containing the .asdatabase tabular model deployment files. This field is required only for Auto Lineage and is optional for crawling, profiling, and Query Sheet operations.
Proxy Enabled*
Select Yes to route API calls through a proxy server. Select No to bypass the proxy and connect directly.
SSAS Plugin Server*
Enter the hostname or IP address of the machine where the OvalEdge SSAS Reader (.NET plugin) is installed and running.
Default Governance Roles
Default Governance Roles*
Select the appropriate users or teams for each governance role from the drop-down list. All users and teams configured in OvalEdge Security are displayed for selection.
Admin Roles
Admin Roles*
Select one or more users from the dropdown list for Integration Admin and Security & Governance Admin. All users configured in OvalEdge Security are available for selection.
No of Archive Objects
No Of Archive Objects*
This shows the number of recent metadata changes to a dataset at the source. By default, it is off. To enable it, toggle the Archive button and specify the number of objects to archive.
Example: Setting it to 4 retrieves the last four changes, displayed in the 'Version' column of the 'Metadata Changes' module.
Bridge
Select Bridge*
If applicable, select the bridge from the drop-down list.
The drop-down list displays all active bridges configured in OvalEdge. These bridges enable communication between data sources and OvalEdge without altering firewall rules.
After entering all connection details, the following actions can be performed:
Click Validate to verify the connection.
Click Save to store the connection for future use.
Click Save & Configure to apply additional settings before saving.
The saved connection will appear on the Connectors home page.
Manage Connector Operations
Crawl/Profile
To perform crawl and profile operations, users must be assigned the Integration Admin role.
The Crawl/Profile button allows users to select one or more schemas for crawling and profiling.
Navigate to the Connectors page and click Crawl/Profile.
Select the schemas to crawl.
The Crawl option is selected by default. Click the Crawl & Profile radio button to perform both operations.
Click Run to collect metadata from the connected source and load it into the OvalEdge Data Catalog.
After a successful crawl, the information appears in the Data Catalog > Databases tab.
The Schedule checkbox allows automated crawling and profiling at defined intervals, from a minute to a year.
Click the Schedule checkbox to enable the Select Period drop-down.
Select a time period for the operation from the drop-down menu.
Click Schedule to initiate metadata collection from the connected source.
The system will automatically execute the selected operation (Crawl or Crawl & Profile) at the scheduled time.
Other Operations
The Connectors page in OvalEdge provides a centralized view of all configured connectors, including their health status.
Managing connectors includes:
Connectors Health: Displays the current status of each connector using a green icon for active connections and a red icon for inactive connections, helping to monitor the connectivity with data sources.
Viewing: Click the Eye icon next to the connector name to view connector details, including databases, tables, columns, and codes.
Nine Dots Menu Options:
To view, edit, validate, build lineage, configure, or delete connectors, click on the Nine Dots menu.
Edit Connector: Update and revalidate the data source.
Validate Connector: Check the connection's integrity.
Settings: Modify connector settings.
Crawler: Configure data extraction.
Profiler: Customize data profiling rules and methods.
Query Policies: Define query execution rules based on roles.
Access Instructions: Add notes on how data can be accessed.
Business Glossary Settings: Manage term associations at the connector level.
Others: Configure notification recipients for metadata changes.
Build Lineage: Automatically build data lineage using source code parsing.
Delete Connector: Remove a connector with confirmation.
For more details on connector settings, click here.
Connectivity Troubleshooting
If incorrect parameters are entered, error messages may appear. Ensure all inputs are accurate to resolve these issues. If issues persist, contact the assigned support team.
1
Test Connection failed
Description: Connection validation failed because the .NET plugin is unreachable, Azure AD service principal credentials are invalid, the Application Secret has expired, the Azure Analysis Services URL is incorrect, or the service principal does not have the required access.
Resolution:
Verify the Plugin Server and Plugin Port are correct and the .NET plugin service is running.
Validate the Tenant ID, Application ID, Application Secret, Azure Analysis Services URL, and ensure the Application Secret has not expired.
Confirm the Azure AD service principal has Read (or Administrator) access to the Azure Analysis Services server, and that firewall or proxy settings allow communication between OvalEdge, the plugin, and Azure Analysis Services.
2
Database should be in the format of {DB} - {CUBE}
Description: The connector could not parse the database and cube information because the response returned by Azure Analysis Services does not follow the expected {Database}-{Cube} format.
Resolution:
Verify that the Azure Analysis Services instance returns valid database and cube metadata during crawling.
Ensure the database and cube names are correctly configured and accessible by the service principal.
Re-run the crawl after correcting the metadata or resolving any connectivity issues.
3
Hierarchy columns skipped during profiling
Description: Hierarchy columns are skipped because DAX sampling on hierarchy levels is not supported and may generate exceptions. Columns configured in the profiling exclusion list are also skipped.
Resolution:
Verify whether the column is a hierarchy column in the Azure Analysis Services tabular model.
Review the profiling configuration to determine whether the column data type is excluded from profiling.
Profile supported columns or modify the exclusion configuration only if appropriate for your environment.
4
Lineage source code not found
Description: Lineage source code could not be generated because the configured Deployment File Path is missing, invalid, or does not contain the required .asdatabase deployment files.
Resolution:
Configure a valid Deployment File Path in the connector settings.
Ensure the path contains the required .asdatabase files corresponding to the crawled databases.
Re-run lineage after verifying the deployment files are accessible and up to date.
FAQs
1. How does OvalEdge connect to Azure Analysis Services?
OvalEdge uses SsasDto (Java middleware), which invokes the OvalEdge SSAS Reader (.NET plugin). The .NET plugin connects to Azure Analysis Services through ADOMD (MSOLAP) using an Azure AD service principal.
2. What Azure AD fields are required in the connection form?
Configure the following connection properties:
Tenant ID
Application ID
Application Secret
Azure Analysis Services URL
SSAS Server
Plugin Server
Plugin Port
3. Why is there no Username or Password field?
The connector uses Azure AD service principal authentication instead of user credentials. Authentication is performed using the configured Tenant ID, Application ID, Application Secret, and Azure Analysis Services URL.
4. When should Proxy Enabled be turned on?
Enable Proxy when OvalEdge must communicate with the OvalEdge SSAS Reader (.NET plugin) through an HTTP proxy server.
5. How are databases and schemas discovered?
The connector queries $SYSTEM.MDSCHEMA_CUBES to retrieve database and cube metadata. The database is stored as the schema, while the cube name is maintained internally for subsequent operations.
6. How are tables and columns crawled?
Tables are retrieved from $SYSTEM.MDSCHEMA_DIMENSIONS and $SYSTEM.MDSCHEMA_MEASURES, while column metadata is retrieved from $SYSTEM.MDSCHEMA_MEASURES and $SYSTEM.MDSCHEMA_LEVELS.
7. What operations are performed during profiling?
The connector executes DAX queries to retrieve row counts, column statistics, Top 50 values, and sample data. Boolean and hierarchy columns are excluded from certain profiling operations where applicable.
8. Does the .NET plugin perform lineage extraction?
No. Lineage extraction is performed entirely by the Java component, which parses local .asdatabase deployment files. The .NET plugin is not involved in lineage processing.
9. Is Query Sheet supported?
Yes. Query Sheet supports execution of DAX and MDX queries through the .NET plugin. Query results are returned asynchronously, while query execution logs are not supported.
10. What Azure permissions are required?
The Azure AD service principal must have access to Azure Analysis Services and be assigned at least the Read role (or Administrator) to retrieve metadata and execute DAX queries.
11. Is JWT required for the plugin REST APIs?
No. JWT authentication is currently not enforced for the plugin REST APIs. It is recommended to secure access to the plugin host using appropriate network security controls.
12. Are Data Quality and Data Access supported?
No. The Azure Analysis Services connector does not support Data Quality or Data Access. Auto Lineage is supported through .asdatabase deployment files, and the Bridge option is available.
Copyright © 2026, OvalEdge LLC, Peachtree Corners GA USA
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