Second White Paper Published: Deploying SQL Server 2016 PowerPivot and Power View in a Multi-Tier SharePoint 2016 Farm

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Last month, we published a white paper about Deploying SQL Server 2016 PowerPivot and Power View in SharePoint 2016  in a demo environment based on a single-server farm. Given this paper's high popularity, Jason then suggested that it would also be useful to provide deployment instructions for a multi-server farm with separate front-end and application servers. So this is the focus of this new white paper, Deploying
SQL Server 2016 PowerPivot and Power View in a Multi-Tier SharePoint 2016 Farm. Thanks Jason for helping me put it together!

In a SharePoint farm, the SQL BI deployment should be distributed as follows:

  • On front-end servers:
    • Install the data providers included in the MSI package for the PowerPivot for SharePoint 2016 add-in.
    • Install the Reporting Services add-in for SharePoint.
  • On application servers:
    • Install the data providers included in the MSI package for the PowerPivot for SharePoint 2016 add-in.
    • Install and run the PowerPivot Configuration Tool to deploy the PowerPivot solution files in the SharePoint 2016 farm and configure an instance of the PowerPivot System Service.
    • Install the SharePoint-integrated Reporting Services engine.

Apart from this distribution, the remaining deployment tasks are very similar or identical to a single-server farm. Hence, you will find many identical sections in both white papers. I hope that this isn’t going to be confusing. Jason and I discussed this issue, but concluded that it is probably still best to create two white papers. That way you don’t have to flip back and forth between multiple documents.

And there you have it. If you plan to deploy SQL BI in an environment with multiple SharePoint 2016 servers, check out this second white paper, Deploying SQL Server 2016 PowerPivot and Power View in a Multi-Tier SharePoint 2016 Farm.

Next I’m going to update the white paper “Microsoft BI Authentication and Identity Delegation” for SharePoint 2016-based environments. This is going to be a heavy one, a very deep dive into the new system architecture and its authentication requirements. Stay tuned!