Planning Server topologies

Updated: 2009-04-30

PerformancePoint Planning includes three tiers of components: client, server, and storage. Each tier consists of an array of components. The client tier consists of Planning Business Modeler, PerformancePoint Add-in for Excel, Planning Administration Console, Reporting, and the PerformancePoint Planning Command Utility. The server tier consists of Planning Web Service, Planning Process Service, Planning Administration Console Web site, and SQL Server 2005 Reporting Services (SSRS). The storage tier consists of Planning System Database and Planning Service Database, Planning application databases and optional staging databases and outbound databases, SQL Server Analysis Services databases, and a File Server or Microsoft Office SharePoint Server or Windows SharePoint Services database.

PerformancePoint Server 2007 support for extranets, hosting, and external connector

Extranets (specifically, authenticating users on computers that are not joined to a trusted Active Directory directory service domain) are not supported by PerformancePoint Server 2007. We are investigating options to provide this support in a future release.

PerformancePoint Server 2007 does not support single-server multi-tenant environments. Customers must deploy multiple servers to achieve a multi-tenant environment for data or user accounts. We are investigating options to provide this support in a future release.

The External Connector (EC) license does not imply or declare product capability (such as extranet or hosting support). The EC is simply an alternative licensing model to CALs that permits any number of external users with a valid Active Directory domain account on a computer joined to a trusted domain to access PerformancePoint Server 2007.

Supported topologies

The following is a logical topology of Planning Server with the connectivity protocols shown.

Following is a description of the components shown in the diagram.

Server tier

Planning Web Service: This service handles requests from the Planning Administration Console site, Planning Business Modeler, PerformancePoint Add-in for Excel, and the Planning Command Utility. The main tasks from these client components are for business-model content design, business process design, model site deployment, and generation of SQL Server and AS databases. These components also handle tasks such as loading data to the Application database, synchronizing the staging database with the Application database, and making changes to system configuration settings.

Planning Process Service: This server runs as the Windows service Planning Process Service. It handles job processing and data submissions from PerformancePoint Add-in for Excel and also cube processing requests. The Process Services Server uses SQL Server 2005 Service Broker.

Storage tier

SQL Server Planning System and Planning Service Databases: The computer running Microsoft SQL Server 2005 holds the relational tables used by the Planning Process Service server and Planning Web Service server. It also holds tables that define the different PerformancePoint Server application servers. There is one set of the Planning System and Planning Service Databases per installation of PerformancePoint Server.

Planning Application, Planning Staging, and Planning Outbound Databases: The Planning ApplicationDatabase contains the metadata, reference data, and fact data, and workflow definitions for the application. It also holds the relational tables for the application, staging, and outbound databases. There is one set of these databases per PerformancePoint Server application, although staging and outbound databases are optional. Each set can be installed on a different computer running SQL Server.

SQL Server 2005 Analysis Services (SSAS) databases: The Analysis Services databases hold the dimensional structure, cubes, and calculations for each model defined for the model site. Each PerformancePoint Server application contains a minimum of one model site. Each application could be deployed to one to x number of SSAS databases. The smallest SSAS deployment unit is one SSAS database per model site within the application.

SQL Server 2005 Reporting Services (SSRS): This server provides the operational reporting capabilities for PerformancePoint Server. This is usually the same physical server as the Planning Application Database server.

Shared Storage (Microsoft Office SharePoint Server or Windows SharePoint Services OR File Server): This server provides the shared storage for PerformancePoint Server form templates and reports. It can be implemented as a Microsoft Office SharePoint Server or Windows SharePoint Services database or File Server database.

Client tier

Planning Business Modeler: This application runs on a Windows XP or Windows Vista computer. This is the design environment for the PerformancePoint Planning Server application. It can also be used to load reference and fact data from external sources.

PerformancePoint Add-in for Excel: This application runs in Office 2003 and Office 2007; it is used to create forms and reports, to start jobs, and to enter data.

Planning Administration Console: This application runs in an Internet Explorer browser. It is used to set up applications and configuration values for PerformancePoint Server. It can be used remotely or locally.

Planning Command Utility: This is a command-line tool that is useful for an array of administrative work on Planning Server.

External data sources

External data sources include, but are not limited to:

• .csv files for PerformancePoint Planning Business Modeler.

• .xml files.

• Microsoft Dynamics AX. Data can be imported into PerformancePoint Planning by means of the Microsoft Dynamics AX Import Wizard.

• Existing SQL Server databases.

Sample physical topologies

These servers shown in the above Planning Logical Topology diagram could be deployed on a number of different physical computers. Performance data can be found in this white paper to help guide your individual server configurations. Some sample configurations are discussed below.

Proof of concept: Single computer

All three tiers of components, including SQL Server databases, Analysis Services, Planning Web Service, Planning Administration Console, Planning Process Service, Planning Business Modeler, and PerformancePoint Add-in for Excel are installed on the same computer.

Basic configuration: Three servers

In a three-server topology, the first computer has SQL Server 2005 Service Pack 2 (SP2) installed. The second computer has SQL Server 2005 Analysis Services Enterprise Edition installed, and the third computer has Planning Server (Planning Process Service, Planning Web Service, and Planning Administration Console) installed and configured.

This is a basic deployment, such as for a design or test environment or a small organization. In this example, a file share is being used instead of Windows SharePoint Service 3.0 or Microsoft Office SharePoint Server 2007.

Server	Platform	Server type
Server1	SQL Server	Planning System and Planning Service Databases Planning Application, Planning Staging, and Planning Outbound Databases
Server2	Analysis Services	Analysis Services database
Server3	Internet Information Services (IIS)	Planning Web Service Planning Administration Console Planning Process Service

Sample configuration: Five servers

In a five-server topology, install SQL Server on the first computer, Analysis Services on the second computer, Planning Web Service and Planning Administration Console on the third computer, Planning Process Service on the fourth computer, and Windows SharePoint Services 3.0 or Office SharePoint Server 2007 on the fifth computer.

Server	Platform	Server type
Server1	SQL Server	Planning System and Planning Service Databases Application Planning Staging Database Outbound databases
Server2	Analysis Services	Analysis Services database
Server3	IIS	Planning Web Service and Planning Administration Console
Server4	Windows Server 2003	Planning Process Service
Server5	Windows SharePoint Services (or Office SharePoint Server) or File Share	Shared storage

Sample configuration: Ten-servers

This sample deployment of a ten-server topology shows the scalability of Planning Server. Each server can be installed on more than one computer for scalability purposes. This example shows each server installed on two computers. You can scale out each server to any number of computers, depending on your system's load and performance requirements. For example, you can put SQL Server on five computers, with Server1 containing PPSPlanningSystem and PPSPlanningService databases, and Server2 through Server5 containing Planning application#1 to application#4.

The tenth server has Windows SharePoint Service 3.0 or Microsoft Office SharePoint Server 2007 installed.

Server	Platform	Server Type
Server1	SQL Server	System and Service DB’s
Server 2	SQL Server	Application, Staging and Outbound DB’s
Server 3	Analysis Services	Analysis Service database
Server 4	Analysis Services	Analysis Service database
Server 5	IIS	Planning Web Service
Server 6	IIS	Planning Web Service
Server 7		Planning Process Service
Server 8		Planning Process Service
Server 9	IIS	Planning Administration Console site
Server 10	Windows SharePoint Services (or Office SharePoint Server) or File Share	Shared storage

Connectivity chart

The following chart shows the connectivity protocols among each of the Planning Server components. See the Planning Logical Topology Diagram earlier in this article for an illustration.

Role	Protocols	Connectivity	Endpoints
Planning Business Modeler	HTTP:/HTTPS SOAP	Always connected	Planning Web Service server
Planning Administration Console	HTTP:/HTTPS SOAP	Connected	Planning Web Service server
PerformancePoint Add-in for Excel	HTTP:/HTTPS SOAP ADOMD.NET	Connected or offline (through offline assignments)	Planning Web Service server Analysis Services database server Shared storage server (Office SharePoint Server 2007, Windows SharePoint Services 3.0, or File Server)
Planning Web Service server	HTTP:/HTTPS SOAP ADO.NET ADOMD.NET	Always connected	Planning Business Modeler Planning Administration Console PerformancePoint Add-in for Excel System and Service servers (SQL Server) Planning Application, Planning Staging, and Planning Outbound Database servers (SQL Server) Analysis Services
Planning Process Service server	ADO.NET ADOMD.NET	Always connected	Planning System and Planning Service Database servers (SQL Server) Planning Application, Planning Staging, and Planning Outbound Database servers (SQL Server) Analysis Services

Ports

Component	Port information
Planning Web Service	The default port for Planning Web Service is 46787. The default port for Planning Administration Console is 46788.
SQL Server	Default ports are used for SQL Server and SQL Server Analysis Services. The Analysis Services port needs to be open for use by PerformancePoint Add-in for Excel.

Download this book

This topic is included in the following downloadable book for easier reading and printing:

• Planning Server Planning and Architecture Guide for PerformancePoint Server 2007

See the full list of available books at Downloadable content for PerformancePoint Planning Server.