Skip to main content

Data Entry Matrix Prerequisites

This topic outlines the necessary prerequisites for using the Data Entry Matrix visual.

Write-Back Service

  • Install the write-back service (PPWebService) in your environment. Ensure that you have a properly configured the write-back service (PPWebService) that is accessible from the point of the Report Server. For detailed configuration information, log in to https://help.insightsoftware.com/ to access the Power ON Knowledge Base articles.
  • Import the dataEntryMatrix v4.x .pbiviz file into your Power BI Desktop instance. When using DEMx in your reports, it is essential to follow this for each report. The custom visual will be stored within the report itself, allowing other users to utilize the write-back capabilities when they access it. Additionally, for Power BI cloud services, there is an option to store the custom visual in a centralized repository, which simplifies management. For more information, you can refer to power-bi-custom-visuals-organization.
  • You can locate the legacy version of the visual in your installation folder under Resources\PPWebService within the VPDemo.zip archive file. Data Matrix Entry can also be converted from other Power BI visuals, similar to other custom visuals in Power BI.
  • For on-premises installations or virtual machines hosted in the cloud, ensure that your Power BI Report Server can access the host IIS machine of the PPWebService.
  • For Azure, web applications are accessible by default. Configure a dedicated connection string for the data source in the web.config connectionStrings section, pointing to the used SSAS Cube.
  • Your IT team should configure connections to the data sources. Refer to the How to Add a New Data Source for Write-back article in the knowledge base for more information. You can find valid connection string examples for different data sources at https://www.connectionstrings.com/.
  • The PPWebservice’s service account used in the connection string must have the following permissions:
    • Administration rights on the cube.
    • Data reader and data write roles on the cube’s underlying data source database.
    • If using the Commenting feature, SQL permissions must be elevated to dbo. Otherwise, data reader and data writer roles are sufficient.
  • The end users (or the user/Active Directory group they belong to) must have the following permissions:
    • Data reader membership on the SSAS cube.
    • If impersonation is enabled, end users must also have data writer roles on the underlying SQL databases.

VPService Visual

The VPService is a helper visual that establishes the connection between PXLT and the Write-Back Service. VPService is updated automatically from the web, eliminating the need for manual updates, unlike other non-legacy versions of the Visuals.

Key benefits:

  • Faster Release Processes - Switching from one version of a visual to another becomes much faster. This results in quicker support from our side, especially when implementing new features.
  • Easy Version Switching - Users can seamlessly switch between different versions of the visuals.

Key functions:

  • Saving Changes - VPService ensures that any modifications made by users are saved appropriately.
  • Saving Comments - In visuals like the Data Entry Matrix, VPService handles the saving of comments.
  • User Information - VPService sends relevant user information as needed.
  • Pop-Up Windows - For visuals like the Table Editor, VPService handles the opening of pop-up windows.

Configure VPService Visuals

Follow these steps to configure VPService:

  1. After importing a visual, right-click on the visual icon and then select About from the menu. Review the version information in the pop-up window.
  2. Add the VPService helper visual to your Power ON visual-related report.
  3. Add an arbitrary field to VPService visual, for example, an ID.
  4. Ensure that the content of the Web Service > URL property matches precisely with that in Data Entry Matrix (Data Entry > Web Service). This comparison is case-sensitive.

Warning Message

The 'VPService is not connected' warning message displays when:

  • the report is in Edit mode
  • the user is building the report in PowerBI Desktop
  • the report is in Reading View mode and the user tries to save the changes when there is no VPService connection
  • the URL of VPService is not exactly the same as in DEMx

This applies to all VPService-based visuals.

Tabular Model Requirements

Create an SSAS tabular model. Write-back on measures is only possible with an Analysis Services Tabular semantic model.

Ensure that your SSAS Tabular Model meets the following conditions:

  • Power Query data sources for tables are supported, but only without ANY transformations. If you have ETL-like logic in your table definitions using Power Query, you can:
    • Move that logic back to the SQL Server level (using writable views).
    • Transform your data flow (SSIS) so that you have fully prepared the data in your data warehouse.
    • Augment your model and create separate tables for write-back.
    • Use native SQL query definitions for your SSAS entities. This is the best practice.
  • Calculated tables cannot be used for write-back. You can have calculated tables in your model, but you cannot use that table in the Data Entry Matrix visual (neither on rows nor on columns), and you cannot use that calculated table as a filtering element (like slicers, page/report level filters). If you have a calculated table in your model, you must turn off strict model structure checking. See Models with Calculated Tables and Columns for more information. Best practice is to create a separate perspective in your model with only supported entities.
  • Calculated columns cannot be used for write-back. You can have calculated columns in your model, but you cannot write-back on them. You cannot use these columns as dimension members on the DEMx’s rows and columns.
  • Relationships based on calculated columns are not supported. The relationships defined in your SSAS model must be mapped to SQL tables and join operators. Every column in a relationship must be visible in the model.
  • Write-back on simple and additive measures - SUM(), AVERAGE() - are supported by default. If only one column is used in the expression, SUMX(), AVERAGEX() are supported too. Numeric columns included in measures must have a float data type.
  • For complex measures, fill in the Description field of your measure in Visual Studio or Tabular Editor. This specifies the target table and column when committing write-back operations.
    • Complex measures which contain multiple columns in the expressions, modify filter context (CALCULATE, FILTER, ALL, etc.), use working tables (CALCULATETABLE, ADDCOLUMNS, SUMMARIZE, etc.).
    • Example measure - SUMX(Sales; Sales[Quantity] * Sales[UnitPrice]). To enable write-back for the Quantity field, specify “Quantity” in the Description property of your measure.
  • In a complex measure, only multiplication or division operations are supported. The engine operates with ratios and cannot handle addition and subtraction.

Was this article helpful?

We're sorry to hear that.