SUMMARY
There are certain permissions required to connect to an
OLAP server through the OLAP Manager or through DSO script:
- You need to have permission to access the following
registry key on the server:
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\OLAP Server\Server Connection
Info - You need to have write permissions on the hidden share
MsOLAPRepository$, which contains the OLAP Services repository and locking
files. By default this share is the bin directory under the OLAP Services
directory.
- You also you need to have Full Control rights on the Bin
and Data directories under the Program Files\Microsoft Analysis Services\Bin
directory. By default, these folders should allow Everyone full control, but if
for security reasons you want to tighten security, make sure that the OLAP
Administrators group keeps the Full Control rights.
When you install OLAP Services, a local group named 'OLAP
Administrators' is created and it is given 'Full Control' to the preceding
registry key and to the MsOLAPRepository$ share. Also the installer is added to
the 'OLAP Administrators' group.
You will see the following error
message if you do not have permission on the registry key:
-2147221456 : Cannot open the following registry key on
the server computer <computer name>): SOFTWARE\Microsoft\OLAP
Server\Server Connection Info
You will see this error message if you
do not have permission to access the share:
-2147221466
: Your permissions on the server computer do not allow you to administer this
OLAP server.
Error: Path/File access error
Hence, make the
user part of the OLAP Administrator's group to successfully administer OLAP
Server from the OLAP Manager or from DSO. Note that a client doing OLAP
analysis, issuing MDX queries through the OLE DB provider (this includes
ActiveX Data Objects (ADO) and ADOMD, Excel, Office Web Components, and third
party front end tools), does not read the registry on the server and does not
require permission on the MsOLAPRepository$ share.