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Enable the Dashboards

Check that the Web Apps service runs and the Power BI Usage switch is on, then open the dashboards from a browser or the MetaMiner Client (MMC).

Before you begin

  • The MetaMiner Server (MMS) is installed and running, with at least one Power BI environment that validated and collects data. See Add an Environment.
  • The MetaMiner Database (MMDB) is PostgreSQL 16 or newer (the embedded MMDB qualifies).
  • You can run the MetaMiner Administrator (MMA) on the MMS machine with administrator rights.
  • You have decided who may reach the dashboards. See Scope and Sign-In.

How it works

The browser always talks to the MMS port (default 49714). The MMS passes /web/... requests to the MetaMiner Web Apps service on the same machine, which reads the MMDB and returns the dashboards. When MMS SSL is on, the dashboards are served over HTTPS on the same port.

Item Value
Address https://<mms-host>:<port>/web/pbiusage/ (or http:// when MMS SSL is off)
Windows service MetaMinerWebApps (display name MetaMiner Web Apps Service)
Started by The MMS, automatically, once the MMDB is reachable. The MMA Start and Stop actions include it.
Stopped by The MMS stop sequence, before the MMS itself
Port 49717 (property web.apps.port). Answers page requests from the local machine only; browsers go through the MMS port.
Logs server\logs\webapps.log, webapps.start.log, webapps.queries.log

You normally never start or stop the Web Apps service by hand. After a first install or an upgrade, the MMS can take up to a minute to discover it; until then /web/ pages answer "not found".

The Power BI Usage switch

MMA label MMA page Server property Default Effect
Power BI Usage (/web/pbiusage) WebApps, group Web apps web.pbiusage.enabled true Off: every page and data request answers "This web app is turned off on this MetaMiner Server (MetaMiner Administrator > Preferences > Settings).", and the MMC launcher is greyed out.

The MMA writes the property to the properties block of server\config\config.json. The MMS reads the switch on every request, so a change takes effect without a restart.

Steps

  1. Open the MMA on the MMS machine.

  2. Choose Preferences > Settings... and select the WebApps page.

    Image of the MMA Settings dialog, WebApps page: the Web apps group with Power BI Usage (/web/pbiusage) ticked, and the PowerBI Dashboards group with the Usergroup restricted UUID field and Apply button

    ../images/dashboards/mma-settings-webapps.png

  3. In the Web apps group, check that Power BI Usage (/web/pbiusage) is ticked. Hover it to read "Power BI usage and adoption dashboards."

  4. Optional: set the user-population scope in the PowerBI Dashboards group. See Scope and Sign-In.
  5. Save the settings.

Result: users who have access see File > Launch Power BI Usage... enabled in the MMC.

Open the dashboards

  1. Connect the MMC to the MMS. See Connect to a Server.
  2. Choose File > Launch Power BI Usage....

The MMC opens your default browser at /web/pbiusage/ on the server you are connected to, with https when MMS SSL is on. When MetaMiner user-based security is on, the menu item needs the MMC permission on at least one Power BI environment.

Open https://<mms-host>:<port>/web/pbiusage/. Bookmark it: the date range, environments and dashboard you pick are kept in the address.

Image of the Power BI Usage app on first open: MetaMiner brand with the POWER BI USAGE LIVE badge, the LIVE chip, the Select Analysis menu showing Command Center, and the Range filter bar

../images/dashboards/pbiusage-first-open.png

Verify

  1. On the MMS machine, open http://127.0.0.1:49717/api/webapps/health in a browser. A JSON reply means the Web Apps service runs.
  2. Open /web/pbiusage/ from your desk. The Command Center dashboard loads.
  3. The top bar shows LIVE with the time the last activity event landed. See Data Freshness.

Troubleshooting

The page says "This web app is turned off on this MetaMiner Server"

The Power BI Usage (/web/pbiusage) switch is off. Tick it on the MMA WebApps page and save.

The browser shows "Web Apps service is not running"

The MMS knows the Web Apps service but cannot reach it. Start MetaMinerWebApps in Windows Services, or restart the MetaMiner Server from the MMA, then read server\logs\webapps.start.log and webapps.log.

Every /web/ address answers 404 after a new install

The Web Apps service has not run yet on this server, so the MMS does not know it. Start the MMS (it starts the service), wait a minute, and reload.

The app says Power BI usage analytics requires a configured Power BI environment

The full text is "Power BI usage analytics requires a configured Power BI environment. No Power BI platform data is present in this MetaMiner database." Add and validate a Power BI environment, enable it, and wait for the first collection. "No active Power BI environments are configured." means every Power BI environment is disabled.

Panels show "Query failed: date range exceeds 92 days"

The date range is longer than the allowed maximum (property web.apps.pbiusage.max.range.days, default 92). Pick a shorter range.

A panel shows "busy" or loads slowly

The web apps answer a limited number of data requests at a time (8 by default) and the dashboards retry automatically. If it persists, check server\logs\webapps.queries.log for slow statements. See Performance and Memory.

The MMC launcher is greyed out

Hover the menu item. "You should connect to MetaMiner Server first", "This web app is turned off on this MetaMiner Server (MetaMiner Administrator > Preferences > Settings)." and "You do not have access to this web app." each name the cause. Access needs the MMC permission on a Power BI environment.

TODO: confirm which installers include the MetaMinerWebApps service

Confirm that both the full installer and the update installer install and register the service, and whether an upgrade from a release without it needs any manual step.

Next steps