How to connect to Analysis Services with Excel 2007 Data Mining Add In?

I downloaded a trial version of office 2007 and the data mining addin. I do not have an automatic connection to Analysis Services, so most functionality does not work. Is it possible to configure a connection with a trial version? If so, does anyone know what the server name is and how to configure it?

the server name is typically the name of the computer that is running Analysis Services 2005 (the machine where SQL Server 2005 is installed). If this is installed on the same computer as Office 2007, then you can use "localhost" instead of the computer name.

In case you need a trial version of Analysis Services 2005, you can download it from here http://www.microsoft.com/sql/downloads/trial-software.mspx (download the SQL Setup, run it and make sure to include Analysis Services in the setup selection)

|||The localhost server name was rejected.
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The localhost server name was rejected after you installed the trial version of Analysis Services? You may also connect to any server in your organization.

Instructions on how to get the evaluation edition and upgrade are here: http://blogs.msdn.com/jamiemac/archive/2006/12/29/try-out-the-data-mining-addins-for-office-2007-free-for-60-days.aspx

|||Yes, it was after I installed the trial of analysis services sql 2005. I followed the directions of the link you provided without any success.
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Can you check to see if the server's started?

Go to the start menu, right-click on "My Computer" and select "Manage"

Open up "Services and Application" and select "Services" and look for Analysis Services (likely called "SQL Server Analysis Services") to check if it's started.

|||Is it even possible with a standalone home laptop? That's what I'm trying to do this on.
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Yes,

However, you need either to install SQL Server 2005 (Analysis Services) on the laptop ( or on anothe machine in your home network)

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I have all of the software installed on my laptop and it all works OK - by "home laptop" you mean a laptop that is not joined to a domain, correct?

After installing Analysis Services on your local machine, did you try to run the server configuration tool? If that failed, can you try to run SQL Server Management Studio and connect?

Please let us know. If you did install and it seems everything is running (i.e. the server is started), or the server will not start, you may have to call customer support.

|||In Excel, when you try to create a new connection to Analysis Service, you might want to share what is the error message when you click on Test connection (assuming you type localhost for the Server name).|||The error message when trying to test a connection to "localhost" is:

"Connect to Analysis Services:
Test Connection Failed. A connection cannot be made. Ensure that the server is running. No connection could be made because the target machine actively refused it."

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There are a few possible reasons:

- is SQL Server Analysis Services 2005 running on the local machine? (run "services.msc" from a command prompt and look for a services named "SQL Server Analysis Services")

- is AS running as the default instance or as a named instance?

In services.msc, a default instance would appear as "SQL Server Analysis Services(MSSQLSERVER)"

A named instance would appear as "SQL Server Analysis Services(INSTANCENAME)"

If running as a named instance, then please set the connection for the Excel add-ins to "localhost\INSTANCENAME"

|||It looks like I have SQL Server Express running, but that I may not have SQL Server Analysis Services...how do I get this cheaply?
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You can download freely an evaluation version from

http://www.microsoft.com/sql/downloads/trial-software.mspx

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