PowerGantt Prerequisites

This topic outlines the necessary prerequisites for using the PowerGantt 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 powerGantt.[VersionNumber].pbiviz file into your Power BI Desktop instance. When using PowerGantt 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.
• Locate the visual in your installation folder under Resources\PPWebService.
• 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 or the used SQL database based on the model.
• 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:
  • For SSAS models - Administration right on the cube, and data reader and data write roles on the cube’s underlying data source database.
  • For SQL only models - Data reader and data write roles on the SQL database.
• The end users (or the user/Active Directory group they belong to) must have the following permissions:
  • For SSAS models - Data reader membership.
  • For SQL only models - Data reader role
  • 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 under build-in visuals and then select About from the menu. Review the version information in the pop-up window.
2. Add the VPService helper visual to your Gantt chart related report.
3. Add an arbitrary field to VPService visual, for example, an ID.
4. Ensure that the content of the Web Service property matches precisely with that in PowerGantt (Data Entry > Web Service). This comparison is case-sensitive.