What is the best way to execute a SSAS project as automated process?

Question

I created an SSAS OLAP cube as a demo to show Microsoft's products dedicated to BI. Now, I would like to configure my SQL Server instance to update the cube automaticaly. Microsoft exposes two way to do that, using SQL Server Agent or an SSIS package including an SSAS task.

What is the best way to do that ?

SQL Server Agent SQL Server Agent is a Windows service that runs scheduled administrative tasks, or jobs. For example, you can create a job that processes a cube and then performs a backup of the cube. For more information, see Automating Administrative Tasks (SQL Server Agent).

SQL Server Integration Services SQL Server Integration Services is a platform that is used to build enterprise-level data integration and data transformation solutions. You can use an Integration Services package to automatically process cubes. The package that you create should include at least two Analysis Services Processing tasks. The first task should process the dimensions, and the second task should process the cubes. For more information, see the Analysis Services Processing Task topic and the Cube Processing discussion.

Answer 1

I would go the SSIS path, as you can easily log the SSAS messages e.g. to the msdb..sysssislog table. This is crucial for debugging and production support.

I prefer to use one task that issues a Process Full command against the Database. This has less moving parts and will completely rollback on its own if there is an error.

SSIS also has major advantages as a platform e.g. control flow, configuration, deployment, source control.