Microsoft PowerPivot Configuration tool uses MSMDSRV.INI to see if PowerPivot System Service is installed
With SQL Server 2012 Microsoft released a new tool to help integrating PowerPivot into the SharePoint environment. This tool - PowerPivot Configuration Tool - register among others the PowerPivot System Service on the local computer and creates the cube for the PowerPivot Management Console.
Besides all that it creates a SharePoint Library on the SharePoint Central Administration site with PowerPivot Excel files for each available language. These file connects to a central PowerPivot Excel file that acts as a kind of hub for the data stored in the PowerPivot Management Console cube on Analysis services.
Recently I had some issues with an installation of PowerPivot. The PowerPivot Management Console gave a red cross, and though this feature is well documented on powerpivotgeek.com this did not work for me. I think due to the fact that my installation is on SQL Server 2012.
So I deleted the Default PowerPivot Service Application and created a new one hoping that this would resolve the issue. That for SharePoint normal action got me into serious PowerPivot trouble. What actually happened is that the central PowerPivot Excel file turned out to be connecting to the old PowerPivot Management Console cube on the Analysis Service. This cube was read-only and it connected to the old Default PowerPivot Service Application database in SharePoint that of cause no longer exists. If I tried to process the PowerPivot Management Console cube to refresh the data it gave an error.
I resolved this issue by detaching the cube and attaching it again not choosing the Read-Only parameter. Then I could connect to the correct PowerPivot Service Application Database. Now the cube processed, but I still had the red cross in the PowerPivot Management Console. The PowerPivot gallery on the PowerPivot site continue to run normally.
So I went back to the beginning, de-connected all the servers from the farm and deleted all SharePoint databases from the database server. Rebuild the farm from scratch. I remembered I got directly an error in SharePoint telling me that Analysis Services is not running in the correct mode and that the DeploymentMode should be changed to Tabular (=2 and Multi Dimensional = 1) so I changed in the MSMDSRV.INI before I started the PowerPivot Configuration Tool.
Everything seems to install correctly but what I did not notice is that the step registering the PowerPivot System Service on the local computer was missing. When I find out that it was it was already too late because the PowerPivot Management Console showed again the red cross but now there was no PowerPivot Management Console cube in the Analysis Services.
I changed the settings of the PowerPivot Configuration Tool so it showed me all the steps that were hidden and it showed me that the PowerPivot System Service was already registered on the local computer. So I deleted all the configuration files of the PowerPivot Configuration tool and searched in the SharePoint directory for configuration files and tried it again. It stayed already registered.
So I de-installed all the PowerPivot features from the farm, deleted the farm and setup a new farm and farm databases. After I ran the PowerPivot Configuration tool again the PowerPivot System Service on the local computer stayed registered.
So I created 2 completely new VM's and created a new farm and again gave SharePoint a hand by setting the value to 2. I am always willing to give a hand to prevent an SharePoint error (not alone because there are so much SharePoint errors). Who is not?
New install and the PowerPivot System Service on the local computer step was missing!!!! Getting suspicious I set reset the DeploymentMode in the MSMDSRV.INI to 1 (= default).
Rerun the PowerPivot Configuration tool and BINGO, there was the missing son.
So I think a Microsoft developer (probably a SharePoint one because they are bad developers) just kind of did some quick and dirty coding using the DeploymentMode value in the MSMDSRV.INI as a trigger for his installation progress. Of cause he could use the SQL Server libraries but hé that would mean a whole lot of additional coding and who used that PowerPivot shit anyway in SharePoint? he/she might have thought.
If it was up to me this Microsoft developer (or the whole team) is now searching for a new job and he/she or they will not get a recommandation letter.
Microsoft, you have to rewrite the PowerPivot Configuration Tool into a descent installer package that correctly installs and uninstall the PowerPivot possibilities on a SharePoint site.
And if I where you I would also take a look at the new installation for Reporting Services 2012 setup. Yes, I bet it is done by the same developer(s).
Roger
Besides all that it creates a SharePoint Library on the SharePoint Central Administration site with PowerPivot Excel files for each available language. These file connects to a central PowerPivot Excel file that acts as a kind of hub for the data stored in the PowerPivot Management Console cube on Analysis services.
Recently I had some issues with an installation of PowerPivot. The PowerPivot Management Console gave a red cross, and though this feature is well documented on powerpivotgeek.com this did not work for me. I think due to the fact that my installation is on SQL Server 2012.
So I deleted the Default PowerPivot Service Application and created a new one hoping that this would resolve the issue. That for SharePoint normal action got me into serious PowerPivot trouble. What actually happened is that the central PowerPivot Excel file turned out to be connecting to the old PowerPivot Management Console cube on the Analysis Service. This cube was read-only and it connected to the old Default PowerPivot Service Application database in SharePoint that of cause no longer exists. If I tried to process the PowerPivot Management Console cube to refresh the data it gave an error.
I resolved this issue by detaching the cube and attaching it again not choosing the Read-Only parameter. Then I could connect to the correct PowerPivot Service Application Database. Now the cube processed, but I still had the red cross in the PowerPivot Management Console. The PowerPivot gallery on the PowerPivot site continue to run normally.
So I went back to the beginning, de-connected all the servers from the farm and deleted all SharePoint databases from the database server. Rebuild the farm from scratch. I remembered I got directly an error in SharePoint telling me that Analysis Services is not running in the correct mode and that the DeploymentMode should be changed to Tabular (=2 and Multi Dimensional = 1) so I changed in the MSMDSRV.INI before I started the PowerPivot Configuration Tool.
Everything seems to install correctly but what I did not notice is that the step registering the PowerPivot System Service on the local computer was missing. When I find out that it was it was already too late because the PowerPivot Management Console showed again the red cross but now there was no PowerPivot Management Console cube in the Analysis Services.
I changed the settings of the PowerPivot Configuration Tool so it showed me all the steps that were hidden and it showed me that the PowerPivot System Service was already registered on the local computer. So I deleted all the configuration files of the PowerPivot Configuration tool and searched in the SharePoint directory for configuration files and tried it again. It stayed already registered.
So I de-installed all the PowerPivot features from the farm, deleted the farm and setup a new farm and farm databases. After I ran the PowerPivot Configuration tool again the PowerPivot System Service on the local computer stayed registered.
So I created 2 completely new VM's and created a new farm and again gave SharePoint a hand by setting the value to 2. I am always willing to give a hand to prevent an SharePoint error (not alone because there are so much SharePoint errors). Who is not?
New install and the PowerPivot System Service on the local computer step was missing!!!! Getting suspicious I set reset the DeploymentMode in the MSMDSRV.INI to 1 (= default).
Rerun the PowerPivot Configuration tool and BINGO, there was the missing son.
So I think a Microsoft developer (probably a SharePoint one because they are bad developers) just kind of did some quick and dirty coding using the DeploymentMode value in the MSMDSRV.INI as a trigger for his installation progress. Of cause he could use the SQL Server libraries but hé that would mean a whole lot of additional coding and who used that PowerPivot shit anyway in SharePoint? he/she might have thought.
If it was up to me this Microsoft developer (or the whole team) is now searching for a new job and he/she or they will not get a recommandation letter.
Microsoft, you have to rewrite the PowerPivot Configuration Tool into a descent installer package that correctly installs and uninstall the PowerPivot possibilities on a SharePoint site.
And if I where you I would also take a look at the new installation for Reporting Services 2012 setup. Yes, I bet it is done by the same developer(s).
Roger
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