Deployment of Altus Power BI Reports

This deployment document outlines the step by step process for deploying the Altus Power BI reports.

1. As a first step download and extract a zip file containing all the templates and reports to your local computer.
   The required files can be sourced from: Download ⬇️

2. You will run a Powershell script to customise the deployment files with the clients target environment. The Powershell script to be run “Update Database name in JSON Files.ps1” can be found in the Dataflows folder as shown below.

   

   The command to run the script can be found as a comment in the top line of the script file. Either use Windows Command Prompt or Powershell to execute this script.

   1. Adjust the folder path with the dataflows folder path. This is the full folder path that contains this PowerShell script. Copy this from the windows explorer path address.

      powershell.exe -ExecutionPolicy Bypass -File "C:\Power BI Reports Setup\Dataflows\Update Database name in JSON Files.ps1"
      

   2. Enter the database name as shown below: Eg: orgb364829e
      

   3. Leave the replacement database name as blank
      The script will update the database name to the clients database name in all dataflows.

3. A new folder with the updated dataflows is created as shown below - with the database name previously entered appended.

   

4. Create a new workspace for the Altus Power BI Reports as shown below. Make sure you’re using the clients account or your admin account to login to Power BI service.

   

5. Create new dataflow for each of the dataflows from the newly created dataflows folder.

   

   

   Import each of the 15 dataflows individually.

   • Dim_ChartofAccounts.json
   • Dim_Date.json
   • Dim_Projects.json
   • Dim_Resources.json
   • Dim_System_Users.json
   • Dim_Task.json
   • Dim_Timesheet.json
   • Fact_Calender_Excpetion.json
   • Fact_Change_Request.json
   • Fact_Decision.json
   • Fact_Deliverables.json
   • Fact_Financial_Transactions.json
   • Fact_Issue.json
   • Fact_Lesson_Learned.json
   • Fact_Risk.json

6. If your organisation region is different to crm6 (the default). Open each of the dataflows by clicking on edit and then change the domain name to your organisations region. Update the region of the domain name and save and close as shown below.

   

   Click on the edit icon located under the Actions column.

   

   Edit the region details.

   

   Click on Save & Close.

   

   Do this for each of the dataflows.

7. Refresh each of the dataflows by selecting the refresh option display next to each of the dataflows.

   

8. If any of the dataflows throw an error edit the credentials to pick the correct credentials that you have used to log in to Power BI with previously. To view the credentials open the Settings when viewing the options (...) for a dataflow.

   

9. If there is a warning displayed next to the dataflow on refresh or when viewing the credentials in the settings like below

   

   

   You will need to re-enter your credentials. Eg.

   

   

10. Next, update the refresh schedule for each data flow except for the DimDate dataflow to hourly, starting from 8:30am until 3:30pm. Ensure you set the correct Time zone.

    Note

    The Dim_Date dataflow only needs to be refreshed once a week. Set that to every Monday at 8:30am. Ensure you set the correct Time zone.

    

    

11. Next, we are going to load data into the Model templates and publish them to the newly created workspace.

12. Open Power BI desktop and login with the account you connect to client’s environment or your own admin account if its your environment.

13. Make sure you clear out any previous Data source settings by navigating to File | Options & Settings | Data source settings. Select all of the Global permission settings defined and select Clear Permissions and Close.

14. Open Work Model.pbit file from the Power BI Reports Setup / Models deployment folder as shown below:

    

    1. Enter your Database and Workspace id from your newly created workspace in Power BI service.
       By passing the workspaceid parameter the dataflow ids will automatically be updated inside the models. Therefore Power Apps Solution file is not required anymore which was done previously.
       Eg: orgb364829e under Database then workspaceid Eg: "63edf77a-1f22-4ce6-9302-7c7d312312dd"
       Then click on dropdown next to Load then choose Edit option.

       

    2. Update the domain name based on your environment.

       

    3. Then update the Data source settings with the clients account or your own admin account.

       

       

       Select Microsoft Account and enter the deployment account credentials

    4. Then select the menu option File | Close and Apply. It will update the domain name and refresh the tables with your environments data. It will ask several times to sign in and then sign in with your admin account.
       

    5. Once the tables are all refreshed then go to File – Options and Settings – Options and then Data Load and change the parallel loading of tables to default. Initially for the models to load the data it would have been chosen as One (disable parallel processing). The default parallel processing needs to be chosen.

       

    6. Save as Work Model.pbix file in the same folder.

    7. Publish it to the workspace you previously created.

    8. Do this for all 4 models – Portfolio, Resource,Strategy and Work models.

15. Refresh all the datasets in Power BI and if it throws an error then edit the credentials with your clients or your admin account.

16. Navigate to the Reports folder as shown below:

    

    The Portfolio Intake and Resources reports use the Resource model. Open each of the reports and when an error is displayed as unable to connect click on edit and choose the right model.

    

    

    Strategy report uses the Strategy model,
    Work report uses the Work model.
    Portfolio Innovation, Portfolio and Projects reports use the Portfolio model.
    Follow the same step as above and publish all the reports to the workspace in Power BI like the models.

17. If the report does not refresh and if there is a connectivity issue fix the credentials to match your clients account or your own admin account.

18. Once complete, the next step is to embed the Power BI reports into your Altus app.

19. To embed you will need to update the environment variables for each of the reports.

    

    Below variables need to be updated.

    

20. To update, navigate to your Altus App and open Settings – Configuration settings – Power BI Environment Value

    

    If you cannot find the Power BI Environment Value option, select Inactive config settings from the Configuration settings drop down option and make it activate.

21. Once the Power BI Environment Value is displayed, enter the values as shown below as highlighted.

    

22. Find and enter the Id of the Power BI group as shown below:

    

    Find and enter the Name of the Power BI group as shown below:

    

    For the Id of the Power BI report open the Power BI report inside the Power BI workspace and copy the Id of the report from the URL as shown below:

    

    For name of the Power BI report copy the name as shown below:

    

    Then once you paste all the highlighted items click on edit json curly symbol as shown below

    

    

    Copy the value and paste all the highlighted items to the environment variables like shown below:

    

    If its Portfolio report, then paste it under Altus Portfolio in PowerApps page.

    Do this for all the 7 environment variables and refresh the app and you should be able to view all the reports.