Excel connects to eMondrian like to Microsoft Analysis Services and works with cubes in PivotTables. Every change in a PivotTable sends an MDX query to eMondrian, which queries your database. Excel connectivity is part of the free, open-source core — no license key.
Connect
- In Excel: Data → Get Data → From Database → From Analysis Services.
- Server name: the XMLA address
- same machine:
http://localhost/xmla - another machine:
http://<server-address>/xmla— see Access from another machine - port changed in
.env:http://localhost:8081/xmla
- same machine:
- Log on credentials: keep Use Windows Authentication. Click Next.
- Select the database (catalog), e.g. OnTime, and the cube, e.g. OnTime (attributes). Click Next, then Finish.
- Choose PivotTable Report and click OK.
Build a PivotTable
With the OnTime sample:
- Values: Flights, On-Time Rate
- Rows: Airline
- Columns: Time — expand from Year to Quarter to Month
For January 2022 you’ll see, for example, AA: 69,400 flights and 9E: 21,644 flights.
Measures and their formats (#,###, 0.00%) come from the schema, so the same KPI looks and calculates the same in every workbook and in Power BI.
Tips
- Refresh: Data → Refresh All re-runs the queries. Within one Excel session, repeated queries are served from eMondrian’s cache; new data in the database appears after the server cache is cleared (
docker compose restart eMondrian). - Saved connection: Excel stores the connection in the workbook (
.odc/ workbook connection). If the server address changes, edit it under Data → Queries & Connections.
Troubleshooting
| Problem | What to check |
|---|---|
| Can’t connect | Open the XMLA address in a browser on the same machine — the server must respond. Check the port and firewall. |
| Catalog or cube missing | Schema error or no restart after changes — see mondrian.log ([[ops/logs |
| Numbers don’t include new data | Restart the server or reconnect — see the cache note above. |
More: Troubleshooting.