Hardware and Software Requirements for Analysis Services Server in SharePoint Mode (SQL Server 2014)
PowerPivot for SharePoint supports both SharePoint 2010 and SharePoint 2013. PowerPivot for SharePoint 2013 runs outside the SharePoint farm though it can be installed on SharePoint servers. PowerPivot for SharePoint 2010 runs on application servers in a SharePoint 2010 farm and uses SharePoint features and infrastructure to support server operations. To install PowerPivot for SharePoint for either version of SharePoint use the SQL Server 2014 installation wizard. Following the installation, complete the following:
Run the appropriate version of the PowerPivot for SharePoint configuration tool for the version of SharePoint.
For SharePoint 2013, install the Install or Uninstall the PowerPivot for SharePoint Add-in (SharePoint 2013).
SQL Server Edition Requirements
Business intelligence features are not all available in all editions of SQL Server 2014. For details, see Features Supported by the Editions of SQL Server 2014 and Editions and Components of SQL Server 2014.
The current release notes can be found at Microsoft SQL Server 2014 Release Notes.
SQL Server licensing
For more information on SQL Server licensing, see the following:
SQL Server 2014 Licensing Datasheet (https://download.microsoft.com/download/6/6/F/66FF3259-1466-4BBA-A505-2E3DA5B2B1FA/SQL_Server_2014_Licensing_Datasheet.pdf).
How To Buy: SQL Server licensing models support (https://www.microsoft.com/licensing/product-licensing/sql-server-2014?activetab=sql-server-2014-pivot%3aprimaryr2).
Analysis Services Installed on SharePoint 2013
If you install Analysis Services server in SharePoint mode on a server by itself, then minimum system requirements are based on SQL Server 2014 rather than SharePoint Server requirements.
Hardware and Software Requirements for Installing SQL Server 2014
PowerPivot for SharePoint runs best on new generation business servers that offer higher RAM thresholds and more processing capability. Large amounts of RAM are used to store PowerPivot data in memory. The RAM supports the ability to adapt to structural changes. Extra processors support long running scans of raw, un-aggregated data. The data assumes its structure in a dynamic environment, in response to user-driven data analysis initiated through an Excel client or front-end interface.
Tip
PowerPivot for SharePoint utilizes L2 and L3 caches. To improve performance, consider using Processors with larger L2 and L3 caches.
The following table describes the minimum and recommended hardware configuration for a standalone PowerPivot for SharePoint 2013 server that is not part of the SharePoint farm:
| Component | Minimum | Recommended |
|---|---|---|
| Processor | 64-bit dual-core processor, 3 gigahertz. | 16 Cores |
| RAM | 8 gigabytes of RAM | 64 gigabytes of RAM |
| Storage | 80 gigabytes of storage | 80 gigabytes or more |
If you install Analysis Services server in SharePoint mode on a SharePoint farm server, review the minimum system requirements for both SQL Server 2014 and SharePoint Server at the following links:
The standard SharePoint 2013 hardware and software recommendations are for a web-based document management solution for a workgroup or team. Because PowerPivot processing is data intensive, the standard recommendation is sufficient if the overall workload is small, for example, less than 100 users or workbooks. A larger PowerPivot deployment requires more computing power.
Analysis Services Installed on a SharePoint 2010 Server
PowerPivot for SharePoint 2010 runs on application servers in a SharePoint 2010 farm and uses SharePoint features and infrastructure to support server operations. The following table summarizes requirements related to SharePoint 2010 deployments:
| Component | Requirement |
|---|---|
| SharePoint version | SharePoint 2010 Enterprise, with Excel Services, Secure Store Service, and the Claims to Windows Token Service configured in the same server farm. SharePoint must be installed using the Server Farm option in SharePoint Setup (SharePoint's Standalone installation option is not supported). PowerPivot requires server farm infrastructure to support administrative and data access. The standalone installation does not provide these services. The developer edition, which runs on Windows 7 or Windows Vista, is not supported for PowerPivot server installations. |
| Service Packs | SharePoint Server 2010 Service Pack 1 (SP1) is required. SharePoint 2010 Service Pack 1 is required for SQL Server 2012PowerPivot for SharePoint features. SharePoint 2010 August 2010 Cumulative Update, or later is required when Upgrading from a previous version of PowerPivot for SharePoint to SQL Server 2012. The August 2010 Cumulative update or later should be installed after installing SharePoint Service Pack 1. A new installation of SQL Server 2012 PowerPivot for SharePoint does not require the cumulative update. For more information, see August 2010 Cumulative Update for SharePoint has been released. |
| SharePoint web application | PowerPivot for SharePoint 2010 only supports SharePoint web applications that are configured for classic-mode authentication. If you are adding PowerPivot for SharePoint to an existing farm, be sure that the web application you plan to use it with is configured for classic-mode authentication. For instructions on how to check authentication mode, see the section "Verify the Web application uses Classic mode authentication" in Deploy PowerPivot Solutions to SharePoint. |
| Data providers required for PowerPivot server-side data refresh | Server-side data refresh repeats the same data retrieval steps used to originally import the data. This means that the data providers used to import the data on a client workstation must also be present on the PowerPivot for SharePoint server. In addition, using data feeds on a SharePoint server requires that you have ADO.NET Data Services. The SharePoint Prerequisite Installer program does not install this software for you. The following software must be installed manually. ADO.NET Data Services 3.5 SP1 runtime assemblies, used to export a SharePoint list as a data feed. Download and install the version that matches your operating system: For Windows Server 2008 R2, use ADO.NET Data Services Update for .NET Framework 3.5 SP1 for Windows 7 and windows Server 2008 R2. Windows Server 2008 R2 SP1 already contains the updated provider. For Windows Server 2008, use ADO.NET Data Services Update for .NET Framework 3.5 SP1 for Windows 2000, Windows Server 2003, Windows XP, Windows Vista and Windows Server 2008 (https://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkId=158125). |