The LS Insight server has a three-fold purpose:
- Hosting SQL server for LS Insight database.
- Hosting the LS Insight product folder and running the deployment script.
- Hosting the Integration runtime gateway - used for communication from Azure to LS Central source and from Azure to LS Insight database.
It is important that this server is within the same domain as the LS Central SQL server and there are two reasons for that:
- If you use a machine on the customer domain that has access to the LS Central source database to run the deployment script, the script can check the connection parameters to LS Central before resources are created in Azure. This prevents errors and unnecessary cost.
- Hosting the gateway on a server within the same domain means you can use the same gateway for communication from Azure to LS Central and from Azure to LS Insight.
It is also important that this server is always running. It needs to be up and running when the pipelines are scheduled to load data from LS Central to LS Insight. Otherwise, the pipelines will not run and no new data will be loaded to the warehouse.
At this point, you can set up everything except the Integration runtime, which will be set up later in the process.
Set up SQL server
If you already have an SQL server with a license that you want you use, which is fine, you do not need to do anything further in this step.
If you are using a new server, check that the server fulfills the hardware and software recommendations set by Microsoft for SQL server 2019.
Whether the server you use needs a full SQL server license or not, is up to the customer and depends on the database size. SQL Express only allows databases up to 10 GB.
We recommend also setting up SQL Server Management Studio.
Prepare hosting Integration Runtime management gateway
The Integration Runtime management gateway will be set up after the deployment of LS Insight.
The hardware and system requirements follow the requirements set for the Integration Runtime by Microsoft.
Set up VS Code
To run the LS Insight deployment script, the machine should have PowerShell installed. We recommend setting up VS Code with PowerShell extension and then configure PowerShell as described below.
Configure PowerShell
To run the onboarding script, you must have the new Azure PowerShell Az module installed. For further instructions see Introducing the new Azure PowerShell Az module.
Note: You must open the PowerShell 'as administrator' to be able to set up the module.
In case you do not have the Az module installed, run the following command as Administrator in PowerShell:
Install-Module -Name Az -AllowClobber
You must also register the AZ resource provider by running these lines in PowerShell:
Connect-AzAccount
This will open an Azure login window in the background where you must log in before you continue with the next line:
Register-AzResourceProvider -ProviderName Microsoft.DataFactory
Get product package from the LS Retail Portal
Now that you have a server ready to run the setup, the next step is to request the LS Insight product package.
Enter the relevant information to the form, and you will receive an email with a download link to a zip file that includes everything you need.
Once you have downloaded and unzipped the LS Insight product package to your server, you can start the setup of LS Insight.
The package contains a folder with the following files:
- arm_template folder
- arm_template - LS Insight.json
- arm_template_parameters.json
- Modules folder
- LSInsight folder
- LSInsightUtilities folder
- DeploymentScript.ps1
- LS Insight Hotels.pbit
- LS Insight Inventory.pbit
- LS Insight Sales.pbit
- Scheduler Job Header.json
- Scheduler Job Header_Hotels.json
Note: The folder you extracted the package to, will from now on be referred to as the Base folder.