How to document tabular models?

Question

I have created a tabular model in SSAS 2019 using Visual Studio. It works fine... It consists of around 20 tables, lots of relationships and some measures. What's the proper way of documenting it? Is there an automated way one can document a cube? ps: my goal is to make it easier for someone reviewing it a year from now...

Answer 1

In Visual Studio, every object (like tables, columns, measures, relationships) has a property called "Description". Fill this property for every object with a meaningful description.

Or create a data dictionary for the tables and columns in your model. This could be as simple as an Excel spreadsheet or as complex as a SharePoint list. This dictionary would contain the table names, column names, data types, descriptions, and any relevant notes.

Diagrams can be very useful for visualizing relationships between tables. Use software like Visio or even PowerPoint to create a diagram of your model.

Keep a separate document detailing your measures' DAX formulas. It would also be helpful to explain why and how these measures are used.

Document your process and refresh strategy for the cube. This is important for understanding when and how the data in your cube is updated.

Tools like Microsoft Word or SharePoint can store and present all of this information in a readable, accessible format.

As for automated documentation:

There are third-party tools available that can help you automate the process of documenting your SSAS model. For example, Power BI Helper, DAX Studio, or SQL Power Doc for PowerShell are tools that you can use to generate documentation automatically. Please note that you'll need to check the compatibility with SSAS 2019.

DAX Studio is a tool primarily used for writing and debugging DAX queries, but it also has some features that can help you document your model. You can export a list of tables, columns, and measures to a CSV file.

SQL Power Doc : This is a collection of Windows PowerShell scripts and modules that discover, document, and diagnose SQL Server instances and their underlying Windows OS & machine configurations.

Answer 2

SQL Server Analysis Services

Answer 3

SQL Server Analysis Services