Backup all SSAS databases automatically and schedually.

With the course of time, you might need to backup all the SSAS databases within a server instance automatically and schedule to backup these database monthly wise or according to your specific time set.

May be there are a lot of alternative methods to perform this task and many solution's.

But I have researched a lot regarding to backup all the SSAS databases within a particular server instance.

In my last blog post I have shared “How to schedule and dynamically backup all the SQL databases within a server instance”.
Here ,I am going to show how to obtain all the cube databases backup automatically along with schedule time set.

These are the following steps you should have to follow.
1. Adding a linked server in SSMS.
You can simply add a linked server within a SSMS by using a script as
--Adding a linked server
EXEC master.dbo.sp_addlinkedserver
@server = N'SSAS_Backup'
, @srvproduct=N'MSOLAP'
, @provider=N'MSOLAP'
, @datasrc=N'ANILMAHARJAN' /* <<< My Analysis Services server name */
/* <<< My Analysis Services database name */
go

--Setup security as per your environment requirements.
EXEC master.dbo.sp_addlinkedsrvlogin
@rmtsrvname=N'SSAS_Backup'
, @useself=N'False'
, @locallogin=NULL
, @rmtuser=NULL
, @rmtpassword=NULL
go

2. Make a SSIS package.
You can simply create the SSIS Package as shown in below

2.1. Create the table in SSMS of the output of all the catalog name within a server given by frying the query into the DMV in SSAS from SSMS.
You can use the following script in order to find all the current catalogs name within a server.
IF EXISTS(SELECT * FROM INFORMATION_SCHEMA.TABLES WHERE TABLE_NAME = 'CubeBackupInfo') DROP TABLE [CubeBackupInfo]
SELECT * into CubeBackupInfo FROM OPENQUERY(SSAS_Backup,'select * from $system.dbschema_catalogs')

2.2. Read the total no of database backup to be made by reading the max count of catalog name from the table just we created above.

2.3. Read the backup XMLA within a variable into SSIS from a particular location.i.e backup XMLA that generated manually and we can also generate it by using a some C# or vb.net code embedded within SSIS.
Here is an XMLA script for backup
2.4. Now, within a for loop, set the max loop to the variable as @Max_No_Backup i.e max no of backup to be made.

2.5. Here read the catalog name of database with in a server one by one by using a table that we created before from CubeBackupInfo.
2.6 Modify the XMLA script using ‘Script Task’ within where I have used C# code in order to modify the XMLA and generate the modified XMLA for each catalog name one by one.

2.7. Backup all the cube database with in a server into a default location of SSAS backup.
-stores acc to the ‘catalog name’ along with the ‘system date’ in order to know the particular backup date. as i.e. TestCube-03-11-2011.abf
-also catalog name can overwrite it if it exist already.
i.e. : C:\Program Files\Microsoft SQL Server\MSAS10.MSSQLSERVER\OLAP\Backup

3.Make a SQL Server Job agent.
3.1. You can easily make a job in SQL by following this link http://www.sqlservercentral.com/articles/Stairway+Series/72267/
and Running and Scheduling SSIS Packages by following the link as http://www.sqlshare.com/running-and-scheduling-ssis-packages_53.aspx
4.Make schedule to backup all the catalogs/ database within a particular server. i.e. monthly or weekly according to your specific time set.



Hope this will help for someone , also I am thinking to post another blog about 'Dynamic partition within a cube' using a similar approach where I have researched a lot in this topic too.

Thanks,
Anil Maharjan

OLAP PivotTable Extensions

Wow, I am so excited that there is such a cool extension available for the excel 2007 onwards ,firstly I don’t know that we can use this cool features add-in extension within an excel .I have often used the PivotTable but I never try it for this particular extension and its features.

I had bookmark for this particular page link a few months ago while I was doing my intern program but suddenly I check it back again now and I found why should not I had look the page clear fully before and why I had not use it or try it out before asking myself. 

But , nice to know that it has some great features like :
1. Private Calculated Members,
2. Calculations Library,
3. View PivotTable MDX,
4. Changing PivotTable Defaults,
5. Searching,
6. Distributing PivotTables


Among these I found the most useful and cool features is viewing entire MDx script and searching features.

Also as we know there are a lot of different tools/software’s that provides these facilities but one simple thing is that we can easily download this extension and it is free too.
You can visit the links as
http://olappivottableextend.codeplex.com/
http://www.ssas-info.com/analysis-services-tools/298-olap-pivottable-extensions-

Thanks,
Anil Maharjan

How to schedule and automate backups of all SQL Server databases in SQL Server.

Hello all,

With the course of time, you might need to backup all the databases within a server instance automatically and schedule to backup these database monthly wise or according to your specific time set.

Also, what I want to say is that ,I cannot stop myself to write this another blog of mine.

writing a blog and sharing some knowledge through the blog makes us really feels happy and also somewhat we also become addicted to it. :)

This may be simply for one but for someone it will be helpful for those who don't know how to do it.

May be there are a lot of alternative methods to perform this task and many solution's.

But I have researched a lot regarding to backup all the SQL database as well the SSAS catalogs database backup with in a particular server instance.

Here ,I am going to show how to obtain the SQL database backup automatically along with schedule time set.
Firstly, I have created a SSIS package where I used simply “Back up Database Task “ from toolbox and click right then clicking in edit tab, we can set the connection as show in figure1 below:

Then we can set the Backup Type as full or other type after that you can select the databases to backup as show in figure2 below where we can set required databases to backup.


After that you can set the other different properties like
1.Backup set Expire
2.Bakup to
3.Append or overwrite if backup exist
4.for everyday backup options
5.Backup location directory currently I set to default location.
6.allow compression or not.
You can figure out by looking the figure3 below.


Now all you need to create a job agent to schedule the backup task and run SSIS package. In order to do this you can check out the link by Brian Knight as
http://www.sqlshare.com/running-and-scheduling-ssis-packages_53.aspx

or simply go to SSMS and start Sql Server Agent and right click and create new job where you have to setup some properties as shown in figure4.


Here you can schedule the backup going into the schedule tab and then just check the job working or not by right clicking it and Start job at step then you can check the all the backup database within the default location as : C:\Program Files\Microsoft SQL Server\MSSQL10.MSSQLSERVER\MSSQL\Backup

Hope you get some ideas to obtain the schedule Sql databases backup automatically ,also I am thinking to post into my another blog for “ Automate and schedule all SSAS catalogs database backup with in a server instance by using Job Agent” or similar approach which have taken most of my research time and I am happy to obtain the result successfully.

Lastly,this may be simple but I think it may work out for someone .

Thanks,
Anil Maharjan