SSIS Analysis Services Processing Task - which object is being processed?

Question

Hi
I've just fallen down the hole dug by a gotcha in the SSIS Analysis Services Processing task (let's call it the ASPT as it's too long to type).
I was doing testing yesterday, targeting a test database.  The way things are set up here is that we have two structurally-identical databases (let's call them SSASLive and SSASTest) on the same SSAS server.
The SSIS package includes an Analysis Services Processing task that processes a partition of a measure group in a cube.
So I changed the properties of the AS Connection Manager in the package to point to database SSASTest.  Then, because I'm paranoid, and don't trust the Editor for the ASPT, I edited the object to be processed, by deleting the existing object from the
list and re-adding it (going down the tree: database SSASTest, cube TheCube, measure group TheMassiveMeasureGroup, partition CurrentMonth).
This is an annoying necessity, because: the ASPT editor doesn't allow you to see exactly what the object(s) in the list to be processed are, by e.g. double-clicking on them.  All you can see is the lowest-level object name, which could be just
"Current Month".  Current Month what?  There's no way of telling.
Test worked fine.  I made sure the AS Connection manager was reset to point to SSASLive, and deployed the package.
This morning, the package ran, and processed the partition in database
SSASTest.  What happened?  Looking in the Code view of the package, I found the XMLA behind the Processing task: the database name is literally specified in the XMLA, and completely ignores the Catalog of the AS connection.  This information
is not exposed anywhere in the UI view of the package.
It's a bit like the dangerous annoyance when testing SSIS package Exec SQL tasks, where a previous developer has insisted on fully-qualifying object names: SELECT * FROM LiveDatabase.dbo.ATable.  You're working with a connection to a test database,
but it makes not difference...
But at least that problem is clearly visible.  I know that specifying the database name is normal in XMLA tasks: but at least the SSIS editor should allow you to see what the setting is.

Answer 1

No, the point is that the Connection Manager's Initial Catalog setting (whether hard-coded or set by any of the configuration methods) has no effect on the database addressed by the Analysis Services Processing task.
Steps to reproduce:
1. Create an Analysis Services database containing a cube (or select an existing one): let's call it ASDB1.
2. Make a copy of it on the same server, e.g. by backing up and restoring: let's call it ASDB_Copy
2. Set up an SSIS package with a Connection Manager pointing to ASDB1
3. Create an Analysis Services Processing task, using the Connection Manager, processing any particular SSAS object.
4. Run the package.  The SSAS object in ASDB1 is processed (not the object in ASDB_Copy).  (Confirm by checking the Last Processed date in SSMS, Properties).
5. Change the Connection Manager's Initial Catalog setting to point to ASDB_Copy.
6. Run the package.  The SSAS object in ASDB1 is processed, not the object in ASDB_Copy.  The Connection Manager's Initial Catalog setting has no effect on the AS Processing Task.  Examining the Code view of the package confirms that the XMLA
behind the task specifies the database as well as the AS object. (and this database setting is still ASDB1).
The fix would be for SSIS to perform validation of AS objects referenced by the AS Processing Task whenever its Connection manager is pointed to a different database, and to update the XMLA accordingly.
Also, it would be useful to be able to see exactly what the objects listed in the Processing Task are.  The information shown is just not sufficient to identify the object to the developer.  I may have dozens of measure groups with a partition
called Current Month - but "Current Month" is all I can see in the editor, and there's no way to e.g. double-click on an item in the list and get the full object identification (Cube X, measure group Y, partition Current Month).  Sure,
I can go and look at the XMLA, but that's fiddly: if there's going to be a wrapper around the XMLA (which is what the AS Processing Task is), then it should be unambiguous.