How to Change the Service Account for Analysis Services

As part of a routine check, I found that one of our servers had an instance of Analysis Services (SSAS) running under a local service account. As many of our solution pull data from various sources, on other servers, there is almost always a need to do a double hop. To enable that, the service needs to run under a domain service account.

This being a simple task and only a small part of the bigger Kerberos puzzle, I filed a ticket with our support, for them to change the service account to one already existing. The reply I got is the cause of this blog post. I needed to provide the individual steps for the change. A quick googlebing turned up rather empty on specific SSAS guides, to my surprise, so I decided to create on myself (I had to anyhow).

EDITED PART:

As Patrice Truong (b|t|l) correctly called out, the recommended way of doing this change, is to do it through the SQL Server Configuration Manager. To do so follow these steps:

Type [Windows] + [r], in the promt type ‘SQLServerManagerXX.msc’ (depending on the edition XX, 12 for 2014, 11 for 2012, 10 for 2008) – i.e ‘SQLServerManager12.msc’ for SQL Server 2014

Depending on your security settings, you may encounter this next dialog:

UAC

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Clicking ‘Yes’ will bring you to the SQL Server Configuration Manager:

SQL Server Configuration Manager

Here you can select (double click) the particular instance you would like to re-configure. Doing so will open this Dialog, where you can edit the login information:

SSAS Configuration Log On Dialog

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Change the login information and provide the corresponding password:

SSAS Configuration Log On Dialog Edit

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Click OK/Apply and the Service will need a restart for the changes to be applied.

ORIGINAL PART:

This guide will be for Windows 2012 R2, but will be applicable on other Windows versions.

Type [Windows] + [r], in the prompt type ‘services.msc’

Services Prompt

 

 

 

 

 

 

This will open up the Services Dialog, where you can scroll to the SQL Server services listed

Services SQLServer

Double click the Analysis Services Service, and the following Dialog will appear:

SSAS Service

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Click the ‘Log on’ tab

SSAS Service LogOn
 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Change the account to the desired domain account and type the corresponding password

SSAS Service LogOn Edit

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Click OK/Apply and the Service will need a restart, before the changes are applied.
Happy hopping 🙂

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New York Re-Visit

Please allow me to express my gratitude towards the team behind the upcoming SQLSaturday in New York for allowing me to speak on Security in Analysis Services (SSAS). I am really looking forward to get back to the Big Apple, and also very exited about delivering my first session on another Continent.
I have only visited New York once before, on the way home from PASS Summit 2014 I made a stop over to watch The New York Jets (1-8) host my favorite NFL team The Pittsburgh Steelers (6-3). In the weeks leading up to that game, Big Ben had just set an NFL record of throwing 12 touchdowns in two consecutive games, so you can imagine, expectations were very high. And you can imagine my disappointment, as The Steelers lost 13-20 by poor performance (M. Vick had as great 1st qtr). I left with 8 minutes on the clock, in order to get from MetLife to JFK in time for my flight, via public transportation (so if you want to know how it’s done, I did it).

IMG_2920
My View from the Top of MetLife Stadium

Enough with the Fottball alright – This time in New York, my 2nd time, I will be speaking at the SQLSaturday event about Analysis Services Security (and as the entire NFL is in trainingcamp, except maybe The Patriots who will be in court, there’s no Football this time around).

My session will go from a brief introduction to the SSAS way of dealing with security (which is quite opposite to std. Windows way), over a quick guided tour through the GUI in SQL Server Management Studio. Most of the session will however cover how to set security through the use of PowerShell and the Analysis Services Management Objects (AMO). I hope to leave the attendees with a high level of confidence and insight into the ways of the SSAS security model. I also hope to broaden the toolbox and discuss the challenges of those attending my session. For me, I hope to be inspired by some of the great work that is done out there. So please join me on a great May morning in New York to discuss on SSAS Security.

PS: My wife still has no clue, so please keep it quiet 🙂

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