Sharing Solutions

If PowerPivot solutions consume too much storage for e-mail, keeping multiple copies of a solution is a poor revision control solution. In this chapter, we will cover using SharePoint document library revision control, inherent in the PowerPivot Gallery, as a solution-level rewind button.

In the initial release of PowerPivot, there is no user-level security built into the product. However, using SharePoint and permissions on the storage mechanism, the PowerPivot Gallery, we can implement restrictions on the user's ability to see and open PowerPivot solutions stored in SharePoint.

If SharePoint is the standard deployment platform for PowerPivot solutions, why do we need Excel, or a desktop for that matter, to consume PowerPivot for SharePoint solutions? We will cover interactions with PowerPivot for SharePoint solutions via Excel Services in environments where the Windows desktop is absent. Consider the possibilities for using PowerPivot solutions with smartphones, tablet computers, and other non-traditional computing devices.

PowerPivot differs from other self-service Business Intelligence products in that a path to enterprise migration has existed from inception. PowerPivot for SharePoint includes deep usage gathering and performance monitoring capabilities out of the box. We will examine configuring and using the PowerPivot Management Dashboard as a means to understanding what is happening in our PowerPivot for SharePoint farm, and how solutions should be migrated or combined.