How to Automatically Deploy Dashboards During Upgrade and Silent Installation

Deploy Dashboards During Silent Installation

This section explains how to automate dashboard deployment during the silent installation of Bold BI. By integrating dashboard deployment into the installation process, administrators can ensure that essential dashboards are available immediately after setup, without manual configuration.

Steps to Deploy Dashboards During Silent Installation:

Download the dashboard files containing sensitive data source credentials required to deploy the dashboard using those same credentials, or to deploy the dashboard with different credentials, it is necessary to update all data sources used in the dashboard with a dynamic connection string by utilizing the custom attribute feature, as explained below.
- Please refer User Guide for creating custom attribute at site level in the site where we are going to download it.
- Then update data source with dynamic connection string using above created custom attribute.
- Please refer User Guide for creating custom attribute for different type of SQL server.
- Follow additional steps which is described below to add customer attributes during deployment process to the tenant site.
Prepare deployment_resources.json category and dashboard details during dashboard deployment. Save the file with the exact name.

[
   {
       "Category": {
           "Name": "Test",
           "Description": "test category",
           "Dashboards": [
               {
                   "Name": "Sales Dashboard",
                   "Description": "",
                   "FileName": "Stock Share Analysis Dashboard.bbix"
               }
           ]
       }
   }
]

Place the deployment_resources.json file and the dashboard files together in a single folder. Then, position that folder in any location accessible to the Bold BI application on the installation machine.
Download the v2_application_startup JSON file and provide all the necessary inputs.
In the startup.json file, within the “ServerConfiguration” node, you are required to use the AdditionalData property. Within this AdditionalData property, specify the location of the “deployment_resources.json” file in the node, as illustrated in the image below.

"AdditionalData": {
   "DeploymentResourcePath": "C:\\deployment_resources\\",
   "DeployToNewTenants": false
 }

If you wish to deploy the dashboard using different credentials, you may add a custom attribute under the “ServerConfiguration” node in the startup.json file, as demonstrated below.
Use the same name for custom attribute which is provided in dynamic connection string of downloaded dashboard.
For Example: We have downloaded dashboard with custom attribute name as Testing in dynamic connection string and that is used in above image.
Please follow the silent installation steps for completing silent installation of Bold BI application.
Once silent installation setup is completed you can login to Bold BI site and deployed dashboards will be available in the site.

Deploy Dashboards After Site Deployment

This section describes the procedure to configure and use the Bold BI utility for automating the distribution of dashboards after the site has been deployed. Automating dashboard deployment provides a smooth experience for end-users by removing the need for manual actions.

Additionally, this utility can be employed to deploy multiple dashboards in bulk during the upgrade process; once the upgrade is complete, you may run the utility.

Steps to Deploy Dashboards After Site Deployment:

Download the dashboard files containing sensitive data source credentials required to deploy the dashboard using those same credentials, or to deploy the dashboard with different credentials, it is necessary to update all data sources used in the dashboard with a dynamic connection string by utilizing the custom attribute feature, as explained below.
- Please refer User Guide for creating custom attribute at site level in the site where dashboard will be deployed.
- Then update data source with dynamic connection string using above created custom attribute.
- Please refer User Guide for creating custom attribute for different type of SQL server.
Prepare deployment_resources.json with user and site details during dashboard deployment in application upgrade. Save the file with the exact name.
Prepare the folder containing the downloaded dashboard files. During deployment, the category name will be derived from the folder name, and the dashboards within each folder will be deployed under the corresponding category.

For Example: Here created the Test1 folder, which represents the category name. The dashboards within the Test1 folder will be deployed on the site under the Test1 category.
Place the deployment_resources.json file and the dashboard category folder together in a single folder. Then, position that folder in any location accessible to the Bold BI application on the installation machine.
The folder path and application URL must be provided in the Environment Variable indicated below.
UPGRADE_DEPLOYMENT_RESOURCE_PATH – Your folder path (Examaple: C:\Dashboards)
APPLICATION_BASEURL – Your application Base URL(Example: http://localhost:5000)
After completing all the above steps, you may now run the utility located in your Bold BI deployment directory.
Location: {deployed location}\utilities\silentdashboarddeployment