Fun with PowerPivot and SharePoint

Now it's time to have some fun. First, take some time verify that the installation works. You should end up with a pleasant-looking page to welcome you to your PowerPivot site. Next, you can begin to upload your PowerPivot for Excel documents to SharePoint, and there is where the fun really begins.

Verifying That the Installation Works

The first indication that you have successfully installed PowerPivot for SharePoint will be the screen pictured in Figure 6-26. Depending on your installation method, either this screen will be rendered in Internet Explorer at the conclusion of the installation, or you will have to navigate to http://yourhostname/SitePages/Home.aspx. To verify everything is working, navigate to the PowerPivot Gallery from the link in the left-hand navigation.

Figure 6-26. Default home site

Viewing the PowerPivot Gallery

A document library by any other name, the PowerPivot Gallery is specifically created to showcase, allow users to search for, and utilize PowerPivot for SharePoint solutions. This is where PowerPivot for Excel solutions are deployed to PowerPivot for SharePoint. Select the documents link from the top navigation, as pictured in Figure 6-27. From the resulting ribbon, select the Upload Document menu item and browse for a PowerPivot for Excel file on your workstation.

Figure 6-27. Document library upload

Uploading a PowerPivot for Excel document will cause it to be displayed in the PowerPivot Gallery, similar to Figure 6-28.

Figure 6-28. PowerPivot Gallery preview