This is another quick post to outline what Power View is and options for using in Excel and/or SharePoint, specifically with 2013 Microsoft technology stack. Though the information presented in this post is available on various Microsoft web pages, I’ve lifted the key pieces of info and summarised in this post with useful links to videos and articles, so you don’t have to look for it everywhere!

What is Power View?

Power View is an interactive data exploration, visualization, and presentation experience that encourages intuitive ad-hoc reporting. For working demos you can visit http://www.microsoft.com/en-us/bi/Products/PowerView.aspx.

How do you access Power View?

Power View is available in Microsoft Excel 2013. It is also a feature of Microsoft SharePoint Server 2010 and 2013 as part of the SQL Server 2012 Service Pack 1 Reporting Services Add-in for Microsoft SharePoint Server Enterprise Edition.

You can access Power View in Excel in SharePoint Server or SharePoint Online in Office 365

http://office.microsoft.com/en-us/excel-help/power-view-in-excel-in-sharepoint-server-or-sharepoint-online-in-office-365-HA103276078.aspx?CTT=5&origin=HA102901475

Options for using Power View in Excel and/or SharePoint?

Workbook is stored	Host configuration is	Workbook is opened in	Power View sheets are
On client computer	–	Excel 2013	Editable and interactive
On premises	In SharePoint view mode (SharePoint Server configured to render workbooks by using Excel Services)	Excel Services	Interactive
On premises	In Office Web Apps Server view mode (SharePoint Server configured to render workbooks by using Office Web Apps Server)	Excel Web App	Not visible
In Office 365	SharePoint Online	Excel Web App	Interactive
On SkyDrive	–	Excel Web App	Not visible

Power View examples with short videos in the link below:
http://office.microsoft.com/en-us/excel-help/power-view-and-powerpivot-videos-HA104009784.aspx?CTT=5&origin=HA102835634

As mentioned before, Power View is also a feature of Microsoft SQL Server 2012 SP1 Reporting Services (SSRS) Add-in for SharePoint 2010 & 2013 Enterprise Editions (http://msdn.microsoft.com/library/ms170438(SQL.110).aspx)

• Power View reports are in a new file format, RDLX
• It is a browser-based Silverlight application launched from within SharePoint
• Power View co-exists with the latest version of Report Builder (note: Report Builder does not replace Report Designer)

As well as querying SharePoint data and other LOB (Line of Business) databases, you can also create Power View reports based on a tabular model running on a SQL Server 2012 Analysis Services (SSAS) server. Power view feature part of SSRS is only available in BI & Enterprise editions of SQL Server 2012 SP1.

Further info:

http://office.microsoft.com/en-us/excel-help/power-view-explore-visualize-and-present-your-data-HA102835634.aspx

Hope this helps!
Chirag Patel @techChirag

This post first appeared here: http://blog.pointbeyond.com/2013/07/08/power-view-in-excel-sharepoint-2013-and-sql-server-reporting-services/