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Server Usage Report

Use the Server Usage Report to understand metrics for users, apps, permissions, schedules, and jobs so that you can quickly assess any issues with performance, auditing, and compliance. Connect to your MongoDB and Server API to extract pertinent data and analytics from your Alteryx Server easily. Choose your preferred output, including: Tableau Dashboard, Separate files, Database, or use the macro outputs for downstream processes.

You can download the Server Usage Report from the Alteryx Marketplace.

Requirements

The Server Usage Report is compatible with Alteryx Designer versions 2023.2 and newer. Use the most recent available patch for your Designer version.

Install the Server Usage Report Utility and Dependencies

Follow these steps to install the Server Usage Report and the associated dependencies.

Install YXI

  1. Download the Server_Usage_Report.yxi from the Alteryx Marketplace.

  2. Double-click the YXI file to install the utility with Alteryx Designer.

  3. Follow the prompts:

    • Install for my account: Only your user account will have access to the utility on the machine. Installs to: %AppData%\Alteryx\.

    • Install for all users: All users will have access to the utility on the machine. Installs to: %ProgramData%\Alteryx\.

  4. After completion, open the Getting Started workflow. In Designer, go to Help > Sample Workflows > Enterprise Utilities > Server Usage Report > Getting Started.

Install Tableau Output Connector

  1. Download the Tableau Output Connector from Alteryx Marketplace.

  2. Double-click the YXI file to install the connector using Designer.

  3. Follow the prompts:

    • Install for my account: Only your user account will have access to the tool on the machine. Installs to: %AppData%\Alteryx\.

    • Install for all users: All users will have access to the Tool on the machine. Installs to: %ProgramData%\Alteryx\.

Install Simba Driver for MongoDB

  1. Download the Simba Driver from the Alteryx License Portal.

  2. Scroll to the bottom of the Product Downloads section and select Download to the right of the Drivers entry.

  3. Select MongoDB from the version list and select Next.

  4. Select Download to the right of the Simba MongoDB 2.3.22.1024 64-bit entry.

  5. Double-click the MSI file to install the driver on your machine. The driver will now be accessible in the ODBC administrator utility.

Set Up DSN for MongoDB Connections

Next, set up DSN for MongoDB connections. Follow the steps below.

  1. Open the ODBC Data Source Administrator (64-bit) on your machine.

  2. Create a new data source using Simba MongoDB ODBC Driver (version 2.03.22.1024).

  3. Fill in these fields:

    • Data Source Name: This can be anything, but it needs to be filled in, even if temporarily using the ODBC connection.

    • Server: Your server name.

    • Port: Your server port (27018 for embedded MongoDB).

    • Database: AlteryxService (or AlteryxGallery, depending on which database you are updating).

    • Mechanism: SCRAM-SHA-256

    • Authentication Source: Match the database name from input "d" above.

    • Username: DB username, usually user.

    • Password: DB password. Check Alteryx System Settings for the embedded MongoDB password.

  4. Select Test... to ensure the connection is successful.

  5. Select Advanced Options....

  6. Update the value for Binary Column Size to 2147483647.

  7. In the Metadata section under Mechanism, select Local File.

  8. Select Browse... and select the MongoDB_Schema_23.2.json file located in the MongoDB Version-Specific Schema Folder:

    • User Install Location: %appdata%\Alteryx\Samples\data\Enterprise Utilities\Server Usage Report\supporting_macros\SimbaMongoDB_SchemaFiles\MongoDB_Schema_23.2.json

    • Admin Install Location: %ProgramData%\Alteryx\Samples\data\Enterprise Utilities\Server Usage Report\supporting_macros\SimbaMongoDB_SchemaFiles\MongoDB_Schema_23.2.json

  9. Select Open, then OK, and OK again.

  10. Repeat the above steps for the AlteryxService database.

Create DCM Connections for MongoDB

The next step is to create connections for MongoDB in Data Connection Manager (DCM).

  1. Open DCM. In Designer, go to File > Manage Connections.

  2. On the Data Sources tab, select + New and choose the MongoDB tile.

  3. From the Technology dropdown, select MongoDB ODBC.

    • Data Source Name: Enter the Mongo AlteryxService data source name from the Set Up DSN for MongoDB Connections section above.

    • ODBC DSN: Select the MongoDB AlteryxService ODBC DSN created earlier.

  4. Select Save, then Connect Credential.

  5. Fill in these fields:

    • Authentication Method: MongoDB Username and Password

    • Credential: Create New Credential

    • Credential Name: Name of your choice (for example, MongoDB_AlteryxService_Local).

    • Vault: DCM

    • Username: user

    • Password: Your password.

    • Authentication Mechanism: SCRAM-SHA-256

    • Authentication Source: AlteryxService

    • Allow connection for SDK: Unchecked

  6. Select Test Connection. If successful, select Create and Link.

  7. Repeat these steps for the AlteryxGallery database.

Create DCM Connection to Server API

  1. Open DCM. In Designer, go to File > Manage Connections.

  2. On the Data Sources tab, select + New and choose the Download tile.

    • Data Source Name: Name of your choice (for example, Server API).

    • Base URL: Enter the base URL for your server API. This ends with /webapi/.

      Example: https://CompanyServerName/webapi/

  3. Select Save.

  4. Select Connect Credential.

  5. From the Authentication Method dropdown, select Username and password.

  6. From the Credential dropdown, select Create New Credential.

    • Credential Name: Name of your choice (for example, Server API Keys).

    • Vault: Select DCM.

    • Username: Enter your API Access Key found in your Gallery profile.

    • Password: Enter your API Access Secret found in your Gallery profile.

  7. Select Create and Link.

(Optional) Create DCM Connections Cache and Output Databases

  1. Open DCM. In Designer, go to File > Manage Connections.

  2. Select + New and choose the MongoDB tile.

  3. From the Technology dropdown, select your desired database and finish setting up your connection.

(Optional) Create Necessary Tables in Output Databases

Run the following apps to create the necessary tables in the output databases. This step is optional based on preference. It's also optional if the cache database isn't being used or if the data isn't being output to database tables. If either is used, run the corresponding app.

  • If you use a database to cache the workflow packages downloaded from Gallery, run the Create Cache Database Tables (App).

  • If you use a database to output the final data to tables, run the Create Output Database Tables (App).

Run Alteryx Server Usage Report

Follow these steps to run your Server Usage Report:

  1. Enter the credentials created in the previous steps:

    • Alteryx Gallery: DCM Connection to the AlteryxGallery database.

    • Alteryx Service: DCM Connection to the AlteryxService database.

    • API Credentials: DCM Connection to the Server API Credentials.

    • Filter Jobs and Results by Date: Restricts the AS_Queue (Jobs) and AS_Results (Results Messages) table queries to only pull back to a specified date.

    • Use Cached Workflow Database (optional): Cache the app package downloads from the API calls. Use this option if your Server contains a lot of workflows, as this can take a long time to download each run.

    • Output to Tableau Hyper File: Define where you want to output the Tableau Hyper File. Leave this as the default if this is your first run to test the Tableau workbook.

    • Output to Database tables (optional): Use the DCM Connection to output the data into separate tables in your own database.

    • Output to separate files (optional):

      • (Optional) Select a location (folder) to save the separate files. Empty = .\Output folder.

      • (Optional) Enter Prefix. Empty = no prefix.

      • Choose the file type (CSV or YXDB).

  2. Run the workflow.

  3. Navigate to the supplied folder to open the Tableau workbook and view the data. If the Hyper file was output to a different location, then reconnect the Data Source within Tableau to see your data.

Troubleshooting

Review this section for common issues and troubleshooting steps.

Check Permissions

First and foremost, ensure that the correct permissions are set in Alteryx Server UI to download workflows:

  • In Server, go to Admin Panel > Settings > Assets: Ensure Disable Direct Download is not selected.

  • Users must have Others can download this workflow checkbox selected in each workflow’s settings. This is checked by default, so unless they explicitly clear this checkbox, the workflow package should have the correct permissions.

  • The user running the Server Usage Report must have API access turned on to obtain API tokens.

Additional Troubleshooting Notes

Review common errors and suggested resolution steps below.

500 Not Found Response

Review this Community Article.

Alteryx Server Usage Report (8): PullServiceDetails (1483): Tool #147: Internal Error: Attempt to read past the end of a blob.

Check ODBC DSN Advanced Settings. The Binary Column Size should be 2147483647.

Alteryx Server Usage Report (8): Failed to pull workflow details from Alteryx Server: HTTP/1.1 500 Internal Server Error

Check if the workflow is corrupt. Confirm it can run on Server.

Alteryx Server Usage Report (8): Failed to pull workflow details from Alteryx Server: HTTP/1.1 403 Forbidden

Check that the workflow can be downloaded and that the global settings allow workflows to be downloaded. Then, review the “Disable Direct Download” setting in Server's Admin > Settings.

HTTP/1.1 404 or HTTP/1.1 401 or “RetrieveServerOAuthToken: The test “DownloadSucceeded” failed”

Check that the DCM connection baseURL is “http://localhost/webapi/” (note the /webapi suffix and trailing “/”, don't use /Gallery/ here).

Confirm that the DCM connection's Access Key (Username) and Access Secret (Password) are correct.

Check that the AlteryxService is running and you can access Gallery or the Swagger (API) documentation. If not, try restarting the AlteryxService in "services".

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