Exporting a Repository application component for a BI Services environment

To export a Repository application component for a BI Services environment:

  1. Right-click the project in the tree and select Export. The Project Export Wizard opens.
  2. Under Select Format, you can select these export options:
    Export whole Project (*.OD)
    Select this export option to exports the entire project including the content if your project is designed to run on-premise.

    Exporting a project

    Export Application Component (*.app_project)
    Select this export option to create a Repository application component for a BI Services environment. Continue with step 3. If the option is not enabled, check the project for BI Services compatibility. The project must contain a Dashboard Catalog and one single default language.

    Checking for BI Services compatibility

  3. Click Next. Under Application Component Mode, you can select the export mode for the application component:
    Self-contained application
    Exports the project, the Application Studio report catalog, the Dashboard Catalog, the OLAP Permission Management, and their Application Roles including the permission assignments. The component is delivered as part of an entire application.
    Cumulative application update
    Exports Application Roles that you use for a cumulative update of an existing application component in a BI Services environment. A version-independent update that contains all changes is delivered.
    Incremental application update
    Exports Application Roles that you use for an incremental update of an existing application component in a BI Services environment. Small, dependent parts are delivered as an update. An incremental update requires previous updates.
  4. Click Next. Under Content, you select the building blocks (repository models) to include in the Repository application component. You can select an Application Studio report catalog, an OLAP Permission Management, and a DataLink Model. The Project and Dashboard Catalog check boxes are selected and disabled, as they are always required for Repository application components. This step is also performed for a cumulative or incremental update of the application component, but the selected models are not exported in these cases. Instead, you select models from which to export Application Roles.
    Note: The model objects to export, projects, report catalogs, or OLAP Permission Managements are always locked by default.
  5. Click Next. Under Application Role, you select the Application Roles that are exported into the Repository application component package. The dialog lists all project roles. You can select and export consistent Application Roles in the Roles column. Inconsistent roles are listed, but their check boxes are disabled. When you place the cursor over an inconsistent role, a tooltip shows the reason for that: This role cannot be exported as application role, because it is not consistently maintained over all models. Also built-in roles cannot be exported. They are created in the target system when creating the models there. When you place the cursor over a built-in role, a tooltip shows this message: Built-in Roles cannot be exported. In a BI Services environment, the permissions of these roles are protected from editing (not the user assignments). If you select the Locked column of an Application Role, the Application Role in the target system will be overwritten. Overwriting the roles will not remove existing user assignments, as they are not part of the locked role definition.

    The Application Roles must meet these requirements:

    • A role with exactly the same name must exist in all models selected for the application component export. For the OLAP Permission Management this means, for example, that element security roles will not be exported. These roles are typically created and used in OLAP Permission Management for the cube access. If a model is not part of the export, it is not checked and no fitting role is required.
    • Built-in roles are not exported and should not be used to ensure content security.
  6. Click Next. Under Languages, you select the languages that are exported into the Repository application component package. The check box of the default language is always selected and disabled in case of a full Repository application component export. You can select additional languages, if required. In case of an update of the Repository application component, a language selection to export is not necessarily required.
  7. Click Next. Under Export File, select the target folder and specify the name of the export file. Default: <Name of the Project>.app_project. The file type Application Component (*app_project) is preselected.
  8. Click Next and then Finish to start the export process.
Parent topic: Repository application component export for a BI Services environment