IFS Analysis Models - Power BI provides the framework to utilize Analysis Models through Microsoft Power BI for Analysis and visualizations.
It consists of a framework that supports transferring data from IFS Cloud Information Sources to a Cloud hosted Data Lake, with a set of Analysis Models connecting to this Data Lake via an on-prem Data Gateway.Once the own BI infrastructure is set up, the deployment of the Models can be done through IFS Cloud Web.
This new framework consists of Scheduler and Data Pump microservices which transfer data from IFS Information Sources hosted in Oracle to Azure Data Lake Gen 2 storage in the form of Parquet files. This data sitting in ADLS Gen 2 will act as data sources for Analysis Models based on Power BI Datasets.
The main elements of the new architecture are the Scheduler Pod, Data Pump and Azure Data Lake Gen 2 Storage.
Further features available in IFS Cloud web include:
a) About ADLS Gen 2 Container
Azure Data Lake Gen 2 is a type of storage account that is used to host the Parquet files. Within a container in the storage account, folders are available per Area, and data sources are available within the Area folder (folder per Parquet Data Source).
To access these folders /containers and connect to a Parquet Data Source, a Shared Access Signature Token (SAS Token) is required. The SAS Token can be used in Power BI Desktop to connect temporarily to the folders and files in that folder.
The default expiration time on the SAS Token is 5 days, after which a new token will need to be generated.
b) About Parquet files
A Parquet File is a column-orientated file format supporting complex datatypes. The benefits are efficient data compression with high-speed data storage and retrieval. They are,
IFS released Analysis Models should be downloaded from the relevant location of the IFS Technical Documentation, so that it can be uploaded into the Golden Workspace in own Power BI Tenant.
IFS Cloud web provides the functionality to Publish these Core models into a desired Power BI workspace, or to download the Models for customizations.
All the main features of the Analysis Models - Power BI (Publish Analysis Model, customize or create new Analysis Model), use Power BI datasets.The communication between Power BI and the Parquet Data Sources hosted in the ADLS Gen 2 is through an on-prem Gateway.
To supplement Power BI Desktop there are tools/plugins, which are used to enhance the customization experience.
Plugins currently suggested:
Areas are referred to as the main functional areas for each Data Source and Analysis Model. (E.G.: Finance, HCM, CRM etc.)
Data source functional areas - specifies the folder in Azure Data Lake Gen 2 Storage into which this data source is added.
Analysis Model functional areas- specifies the Target Power BI workspace in which the Analysis Model should be published/uploaded.
An import/export feature has been created to save time, and reduce the probability of human error, of having to re-create the Data Source definitions in each environment (DEV, UAT, PRD) during a signoff process and moving a model through to Production.
From one environment, a Parquet Data Sources Definition can be exported as a .json file. This .json file can be imported into another environment through an assistant within the Parquet Data Sources page.
The Analysis Model version needs to be controlled in own repos; therefore, the saved versions can be uploaded to another environment via the Upload Models page accordingly.