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 BI infrastructure is set up and the resources are connected to IFS Cloud, the solution functionalities can be used as required.
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). These Data Sources can be accessed i.e. through Power BI Desktop for reporting / analytics purposes.
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 can be downloaded from the relevant location of the IFS Documentation repository, and those can be utilized based on the requirement. (Uploading it to the Golden Workspaces created in own tenant for the Publish process, upload it directly into the target workspace with or without 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 the 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 Source 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.
(Please note that the sample reports that are available in the documentation repository are based on the same Data Model for Maintenance and Procurement.)