Updating your Business Intelligence database

If you have purchased the optional Business Intelligence module, data is extracted from Asta Vision and used to populate a Business Intelligence database, which you can use for reporting using external tools.

When the Business Intelligence database is updated

The Business Intelligence database that you use for external reporting is updated with information on the latest revisions of programmes and baselines automatically as you work with projects and programmes in Asta Vision.

For each programme type that you use, you can specify when Business Intelligence data is extracted to update the database:

To specify that Business Intelligence data is extracted from the latest revision of a programme and baseline at the time at which they are checked in, edit the programme type and select 'Always run on latest version' in the B. I. behaviour field.
To specify that Business Intelligence data is extracted from the latest revision of a programme and baseline each time particular workflow rules are performed:
1. Edit the programme type and select 'Run on specified workflow actions' in the B. I. behaviour field.
2. Edit each workflow rule that you want to trigger Business Intelligence data extraction and select the Run B. I. check box.

You can use the Generate Project BI for new projects check box, on the Site Settings page, to specify whether the Business Intelligence database is updated with basic details of new projects as they are created:

If you select this check box, basic details of new projects are added to the database as they are created.
If you clear this check box, no information on new projects is added to the database until the first time a project's programme is checked in, or the first time a particular workflow rule is performed on the project's initial programme - depending on the selection you have made in the B. I. behaviour field for that programme type.

The Business Intelligence database is always updated with basic details of new projects when you add existing projects to Asta Vision (as opposed to creating brand new projects), provided that 'Always run on latest version' is selected in the B. I. behaviour field for the programme type for which you are uploading a project.

Adding information on a specific revision of a programme to the Business Intelligence database

If you have purchased the optional Business Intelligence module, you can nominate one programme revision for each project to be an 'additional BI revision', meaning that it is always available in your Business Intelligence data. When you nominate an additional BI revision for a project, Business Intelligence data is extracted from this revision into your Business Intelligence database. This enables you to use external reporting tools to compare the latest revision of a programme with a specific revision of your choice. For example, you may want to compare the current contract against the original contract - to do this, you would nominate the revision that represents the current contract as the additional BI revision.

To nominate a programme revision to be an 'additional BI revision', view details of the project's programme revisions, select the revision and click Additional BI Revision.

The Additional BI Revision button is only available if you have purchased the optional Business Intelligence module.

Updating the Business Intelligence database manually

In some circumstances, you may need to update the Business Intelligence database that you use for external reporting with the latest information from Asta Vision. You should only do this if advised to by Elecosoft Technical Support.

To update your Business Intelligence database with the latest information from your Asta Vision database:

Click Admin, then click Update Vision BI Data. The Update Vision BI Data page appears.
Click Update Vision BI Data. A message appears, asking you to wait, then disappears once the database has been updated.

The Update Vision BI Data option is only available if you have purchased the optional Business Intelligence module.