Create an Excel Services data connection (PerformancePoint Services)

 

Applies to: SharePoint Server 2010 Enterprise

A data source connection can be made to data within Excel files that have been published to Excel Services on a SharePoint site. Published parameter values can be modified from within PerformancePoint Services. This is useful when a parameter is an input to the value of a published cell; this could be used in a KPI, for example, and enable the dynamic change of that cell value from PerformancePoint Services.

Important

PerformancePoint Services accesses external data sources by using a delegated Windows identity. Consequently, external data sources must reside within the same domain as the SharePoint Server 2010 farm. If external data sources do not reside within the same domain, authentication to the external data sources will fail. For more information, see Planning considerations for services that access external data sources.

Create an Excel Services data source connection

In PerformancePoint Services the security settings for data sources are stored in each data source. For Excel Services workbooks, you have the choice of having all users connect by using the Unattended Service Account, or you can authenticate using Per-User Identity. Per-User Identity requires Kerberos protocol.

Tip

It is recommended that you select your authentication method before you specify your server connection.

Security Note
You cannot connect to an Excel Services data source when the site or library containing the workbook you are trying to connect to is set to Anonymous Access.

To Create an Excel Services data source connection

1. Launch Dashboard Designer.

2. Click the Create tab, and then click Data Source.

3. In the Category pane of the Select a Data Source Template dialog box, click Tabular List and then click Excel Services. Click OK.

4. In the left navigation pane (workspace browser), type a name for your data source.

5. In the center pane, click the Editor tab. In the Data Source Settings section, select the method by which to authenticate to the data source.

6. In the Refresh Interval box, enter the duration in minutes for the data to refresh.

7. In the Connection Settings section, type the URL of the SharePoint site.

8. From the Document Library drop-down list, select the SharePoint document library where the workbook is located.

9. From the Excel Workbook drop-down list, select desired workbook.

10. In the Item Name drop-down list, select a Named Range or table. Only one Named Range or Table is supported per Excel Services data source.

    Important

    If you connect to a Microsoft Office Excel 2007 workbook as a data source, you must type the Item name; it will not appear in the drop-down list.

    Tip

    Your selected Named Range or Table can be later seen on the View tab. A column from that Item can be set as a Time Dimension and configured from the Time tab.

11. Click Test Data Source to confirm that the connection is configured correctly.

Video demonstration

To view a demonstration of how to create an Excel Services data connection in PerformancePoint Services, watch the following video.

Watch the video | To download a copy of the video, right-click the link, and then click Save Target As.