Analytics for LS Central accesses the LS Central database directly when LS Central is located on-premises, and therefore our on-premises customers using Analytics must update the populate query base pipeline at the same time or before they update LS Central to version 23.0.
You can do this independently of other functional updates to Analytics, so even if you are running, for example, version 2022.1, you can still apply the 2023.4 update package to your Analytics environment. If you want to use the opportunity to get the latest functional updates, you can simply create a new Analytics environment using version 2023.4.
The update package includes the bicep files to update the Query base pipeline in the Azure data factory, so it can handle the table structure in LS Central version 23.0, but it will be backwards compatible and continue to handle older versions as well. You can read more about the updates in the release notes for this version.
This means that you can run the update to Analytics before you update LS Central to version 23.0 and everything will continue to function as normal, but when you update LS Central to version 23.0, you will need to run a Factory reset on your Analytics instance for it to continue working. The change to the Query base pipeline will also be included in the next functional update of Analytics, so if you are not planning to update LS Central any time soon, you can skip this update.
Tip: If you have a large number of customizations, we recommend that you set up a new Analytics instance with new DW and ADF beside the older instance of Analytics, and move your customizations between them before you start using the new instance.
Download update
Use the link you received from LS Retail Licenses to access the download form and request an update package.
When you have entered the relevant information to the form and submitted, you will receive an email with a download link to a zip file that includes everything you need.
Preparation
Before you run the Update script you must disable the Scheduled Run trigger in the Analytics instance you want to update. If you view the instructions on how to activate the trigger, you can follow those, but this time you set Activated to No and then apply and publish the changes.
Update Analytics for LS Central
- Open the update package folder you just downloaded in VS Code, or navigate to the update folder in your PowerShell client.
- To open the whole folder in VS Code, you open it in File Explorer and then right-click in a white space, not a file, and select Open with Code.
- In order to install bicep, we have added a PowerShell script with code from Microsoft learn, InstallBicep.ps1. You will need to run this script once.
- Open the UpdateAnalytics.ps1 script in VS Code, and run by clicking F5. Or run the script from PowerShell.
- The script will first ask, if you have access to the file path to the parameter file (Parameters.json) that is located in the Analytics project folder that was created when Analytics was deployed (YYYYMMDDHHMM-MyProject).
- If you still have access to the project folder, you can reuse the parameters by answering Yes and providing the full path to the Parameters.json file.
- If the project folder has been removed or deleted, you just answer No and enter the parameters, when prompted.
Note: You must use the same parameters you supplied when you installed Analytics. You can find the connection parameters and the names of your current SQL server, database, and Azure Data Factory in the Azure portal.
- The script then prompts for Azure subscription ID and login to Azure.
- Next, the script collects the parameters that have not been set, and validates connection parameters to LS Central and Analytics.
- The script now runs the updates to the data factory.
- When the script has finished running, it displays a message.
Post update
If you have updated LS Central to version 23, you need to run Factory Reset pipeline, and the whole data warehouse will be reset. You must do this, because after the change to the companion table structure there might be more columns in the companion ($ext) table and those need to be added to the staging tables so the load can run.
You then need to start the Scheduled run trigger again, and verify that it is still set to the time and timezone you want.
If you have not updated LS Central and are still running an older version, you do not have to do anything except turn on the Scheduled run trigger. But when you eventually upgrade to LS Central 23.0, you will need to run the Factory reset. We have added a link to this update guide from the LS Central v. 23.0 Release Notes.
Note: Remember to publish the change after you have reactivated the trigger.