How to Install or Upgrade Planning Analytics for Excel (PAX/PAfE) Add-in v2.0.65+
Updated for PAX v 2.0.65 – Single File Install. Here we are going to detail how to upgrade or install the TM1 Planning Analytics for Excel (PAX – also sometimes known as PAfE) add-ins onto a user’s PC. As of version 2.0.65, the installation fo PAfE has changed so that it is now a single file installation, rather than the installation of a set of Excel add-ins. The PAfE admin provides reporting and analysis of TM1 cubes via Excel.
If you need to install a prior version than 2.0.65, then please follow the steps at on this post.
What is Planning Analytics for Excel (PAX/PAfE)?
PAX is the Excel add-in that provides access to TM1 cubes. With it, you can do ad-hoc exploration, create quick reports, create unlimited length reports and highly customised reports. It replaces the old TM1 Perspectives add-in.
Planning Analytics for Excel is NOT TM1 Perspectives!
Please note that if you are looking for instructions to install the old Perspectives add-in (rather than PAX/PAfE) to Excel, please see this post.
If you are looking for instructions how to install versions of PAX/PAfE prior to 2.0.65, please see this post.
What is the PAX/PAfE Add-in?
PAX/PAfE connects to the Planning Analytics Workspace (PAW) server (not the TM1 server). To do this it uses an Excel Add-in.
There is a separate add-in for both 32- and 64-bit versions of Excel. Don’t worry if you choose the wrong version, it will not let you install the wrong version.
There are new versions of the PAX/PAfE add-in released by IBM every month or so. You should have a recent, say within the last three months, version installed.
PAX/PAW/PASS/PA Server Version Sync
Planning Analytics needs to be kept roughly in sync between the core Planning Analytics (TM1) server, Planning Analytics Workspace (PAW), Planning Analytics for Excel (PAX/PAfE) and Planning Analytics Spreadsheet Services (PASS/TM1Web). IBM releases new version of PAX and PAW about every month and a new version of PA server about every quarter. Just make sure you upgrade all three, not just PAX and leave PA server or PAW, or it will clunk eventually!
If you need more information on PA version management, please see this post.
Instructions to Install Planning Analytics for Excel
With the 2.0.65 and beyond installer, it is a much simpler process and does not require administration rights to install anything. You end up just running the .xll file and it opens PAX inside Excel straight up.
Time needed: 10 minutes.
Here are the detailed, step by step instructions for installation of the Planning Analytics for Excel (PAfE) for version 2.0.65 and beyond.
- Check Supported Environment
First, check that your PC satisfies the supported environment from IBM. This is available here and includes: At least .Net 4.6.1 (if not present, download it from here).
If installing PAX onto an old version of Excel (2007, 2010), then install the Primary Interop Assemblies (PIA) for your version of MS Office Office 2007 here, Office 2010 here. For Office 2013, 2016 or 2019, Microsoft doesn’t publish a PIA as apparently they are not needed).
If you get errors installing please see this post.
Finally, check what version of Excel you are running – is it 32 or 64 bit. This will determine which version of the PAX plugin you need to use (File, Account, About Excel). - Backup PAX Connections
Backup the connections inside Planning Analytics for Excel if you are upgrading. Just copy and paste the connection string out to Notepad.
- Quit from Excel
Exit from Excel, if it is still open.
- Uninstall Previous PAX (if prior to 2.0.65 installed)
Uninstall any previous version of PAX.
Click Start menu, Programs, IBM Planning Analytics for Microsoft Office, Uninstall IBM Office Addins, Uninstall IBM Office Addins.
This will bring up the Uninstall Wizard and you should follow the steps in it to remove your current version of PAX.
Ensure you select the option to leave your configuration settings in place as you don’t want to lose them!
Removing the prior version is absolutely mandatory, especially if you are upgrading from a version up until 2.0.64. - Download and Save .xll File
Create a new folder somewhere that is accessible to you. Say, C:\Planning Analytics for Excel\, or something similar. Then copy the relevant .xll file (either 32 or 64 bit) to this location. These are the files that need to be directly run to open PAX directly inside Excel.
- Open the .xll File
Now with the file in the correct location on your PC, open the correct .xll file.
- Enable Code from IBM
When you first open PAfE directly from the .xll, Windows will ask you about a potential security threat from the .xll file. You can either select to enable for this session only, or to enable all code from the publisher. Obviously if you don’t want to have to answer this popup every time you open PAX, then you need to choose the first option, to “Enable all code published by this publisher”.
- Set Language and Accept IBM Licence
Straight after the security warning from Windows, you will also be asked to select your language and accept the licence from IBM. This only occurs once.
- PAX is Open
Planning Analytics for Excel will then open in Excel and will not open any document (unlike in the pre 2.0.65 days). You will then need to Connect to Planning Analytics to work with the files stored inside your TM1 server.
Interestingly, from what I can see, there appears to be no visible differences in the interface. I hope though, that it is more stable than the previous versions and that it will set up the tool for more advanced usage.
- Create Shortcut
The .xll file is what is run, but where do you put it? I have moved it to a location I can easily find it.
Then I have renamed the .xll file as just plain old “Planning Analytics for Excel.xll”. I have done this so that when I create the shortcut it is named this AND, more importantly when I upgrade PAX, I will do the same process and Windows will still find the shortcut target.
From there we should create a short cut to it and place it in the Windows Start Menu.
You will see here that I have moved it to a new folder, called E:\PAX.
Then I have created a shortcut to it and renamed the shortcut to just be “Planning Analytics for Excel” – because that is how we want it to appear in our Start Menu.
- Copy Shortcut to Start Menu
This is a little beyond my Windows pay grade, but if you go to %AppData%\Microsoft\Windows\Start Menu\Programs in Windows Explorer and paste the shortcut there, it will now be visible on the Start Menu.
- et Viola!
Create Connection to TM1 Model
Now that you have installed the Planning Analytics for Excel add-in, you need to create a connection to a TM1 model. Please see this post for detailed instructions on how to do this.
