Using API for Analytics and Visualizations

Step 1 - IMS View

• Create a view in IMS that has the columns and filters that contain the data you want to make available in Power BI:

• The view will have its own URL:

http://<servername>:9877/C7IMS/#/bu-1/inventory/viewgroup-1/view-1

• The URL will have three unique identifiers:
  • Business Unit (bu-1)
  • View Group (viewgroup-1)
  • View (view-1)

Step 2 - Power BI Report

• Create a new report in Power BI
• Click on Transform data > Transform data

• Click on Manage Parameters:

• Create four parameters:

Name	Description	Required	Type	Suggested Values	Current Value (examples)
SiteUrl	Copy the value from the url which states the server name	Yes	Text	Any value	http://<servername>:9877/
BusinessUnitID	Copy the value from the url which states bu-<number>	Yes	Text	Any value	1
ViewGroupId	Copy the value from the url which states viewgroup-<number>	Yes	Text	Any value	1
ViewId	Copy the id from the number in the url where it states view-<number>	Yes	Text	Any value	1

Note that the Name is case-sensitive.

• Click on Enter Data:

• Enter an appropriate name (e.g. ViewRecords)
• Select ViewRecords from the Queries list and click on Advanced Editor:

• Remove any existing text and replace it with:

let Source = Excel.Workbook(Web.Contents(#"SiteUrl" & "C7IMS/api/businessunits/" & #"BusinessUnitID" & "/viewGroups/" & #"ViewGroupId" &"/views/" & #"ViewId" & "/exportContent?filterXml=&token="), null, true), records = Source{[Item="Table1",Kind="Table"]}[Data], 
    #"Changed Type" = records
in #"Changed Type"

• Click on Done
• The records from the IMS view will be listed in the ViewRecords table:

• Click on Close & Apply:

You can now start to build visuals with the data based on your requirements:

 

Note: here is an example Power BI report for reference:

Example IMS View Report.pbix

Note: the Power BI report can be copied and updated for each different view that you want to pull data from.