Power BI (On-Prem)
This document outlines the integration with the Power BI (On-Prem) connector, enabling efficient data management through features such as crawling and lineage building (both automatic and manual), providing visibility into reports, datasets, pages, and visuals within on-premises environments.
The Power BI (On-Prem) connector uses REST APIs to securely extract metadata from the Power BI Report Server for cataloging and lineage analysis. It also ensures secure authentication via Credential Manager.
Overview
Connector Details
Connector Category
Reporting Tools
OvalEdge Release Supported
Release 6.3.X and later
Connectivity
[How the connection is established with Power BI (On-Prem)]
REST APIs
Verified Power BI (On-Prem) Version
1.1.6513.3500 - 1.22.9153.7886
The Power BI (On-Prem) connector has been validated with the mentioned "Verified Power BI (On-Prem) Versions". It is expected to be compatible with other supported Power BI (On-Prem) versions. If there are any issues with validation or metadata crawling, please submit a support ticket for investigation and feedback.
Connector Features
Crawling
✅
Delta Crawling
✅
Profiling
❌
Query Sheet
❌
Report Preview
❌
Auto Lineage
✅
Manual Lineage
✅
Secure Authentication via Credential Manager
✅
Data Quality
❌
DAM (Data Access Management)
❌
Bridge
✅
Metadata Mapping
The following objects are crawled from Power BI (On-Prem) and mapped to the corresponding UI assets.
Folders
Folder
Report Group
Reports
Folders
Sub folder
subfolder
Report Group
Reports
Sub folder
Reports
Reports Name
Report Name
Reports
Reports
Reports
Report description
Report description
Descriptions
Reports
Reports
Report Type
Type
Reports
Reports
Dataset
Dataset Name
Dataset Name
Reports
Dataset
Dataset
Dataset Description
Source description
Descriptions
Dataset
Dataset
Dataset Type
Type
Reports
Dataset
Pages
Page Name
Report Name
Reports
Pages
Pages
Page description
Source description
Reports
Pages
Pages
Page type
Type
Reports
Pages
Visuals
Visual Name
Report Name
Reports
Visuals
Visuals
Visual type
Type
Reports
Visuals
Visuals
Visual Filed
Report Columns
Report Columns
Visuals
Set up a Connection
Prerequisites
The following are the prerequisites to establish a connection:
Whitelisting IP Address
Ensure that the data source IP address is whitelisted before establishing a connection to OvalEdge. IP whitelisting helps prevent connectivity issues, ensures a secure connection, and protects data from unauthorized access.
For detailed prerequisite configuration steps for Power BI Report Server (On-Prem) including Windows service account creation, Content Manager permission assignment, and optional environment variable configuration - refer to the Power BI (On-Prem) System Configuration.
Service Account User Permissions
It is recommended to use a separate service account to establish the connection to the data source, configured with the following minimum set of permissions.
👨💻Who can provide these permissions? These permissions are typically granted by the Power BI (On-Prem) administrator, as users may not have the required access to assign them independently.
Validation
Connector Validation
Windows user with a Content Manager permission
Crawling
Crawling
Windows user with a Content Manager permission
Build Lineage
Lineage
Windows user with a Content Manager permission
Crawling
Delta Crawl
Windows user with a Content Manager permission
Crawling
Semantic Model / Dataset
Windows user with a Content Manager permission
Crawling
Report
Windows user with a Content Manager permission
Crawling
Pages
Windows user with a Content Manager permission
Crawling
Visuals
Windows user with a Content Manager permission
Connection Configuration Steps
Users are required to have the Connector Creator role in order to configure a new connection.
Log into OvalEdge, go to Administration > Connectors, click + (New Connector), search for Power BI, and complete the required parameters.
Fields marked with an asterisk (*) are mandatory for establishing a connection.
Connector Type
By default, "Power BI" is displayed as the selected connector type.
Server Type*
From the dropdown list options (powerbionpremise/powerbicloud), select powerbionpremise.
Credential Manager*
Select the desired credentials manager from the drop-down list. Relevant parameters will be displayed based on your selection.
Supported Credential Managers:
OE Credential Manager
AWS Secrets Manager
HashiCorp
Azure Key Vault
License Add Ons
Select the checkbox for Auto Lineage Add-On to build data lineage automatically.
Connector Name*
Enter a unique name for the Power BI (On-Prem) connection
(Example: "PowerBIOnPrem").
Connector Environment
Select the environment (Example: PROD, STG) configured for the connector.
Connector Description
Enter a brief description of the connector.
Server Domain*
Enter the On-Premises Domain name. The Power BI Report Server allows organizations to host and share reports with users within their own domain or network.
Host Name*
This is the Hostname or IP address of the Power-BI Server. Database instance URL (on-premises). Example: app.powerbi.com [Localhost (on-premises)]
Connection URL*
Enter the On-Premise Database Connection URL. It is a URL string that the JDBC driver uses to connect to a database.
Files Path*
Enter the server files path. A user needs to create or take any existing path from the OvalEdge server and paste it here.
PBIT Files Path
Enter the server folder path where the PBIT files are stored. This path is used to read and process the PBIT files during the connection setup.
Connection String*
Set the Connection String toggle button to automatic to get the details automatically from the credentials provided. Alternatively, users can manually enter the string. https://app.powerbi.com/
Username*
A username is required to connect to the Power BI On-Premise server. Enter the Service Account Name established to access the Power BI-on premise environment.
Password*
Password is required to connect to the Power BI on-premises server.
Windows Authentication (Y/N)
To validate the connection using Windows Authentication, enter 'Y'; otherwise, enter 'N'.
Check With Certs (Y/N)
To validate the connection using certificates, export the certificates and place them in the Java path, then enter 'Y'; otherwise, enter 'N'.
Read From NFS(Y/N)
To retrieve reports directly from the folder without connecting to the Power BI service, enter 'Y'; otherwise, enter 'N'.
Proxy Enabled*
Select Yes to route API calls through a proxy server. Select No to bypass the proxy and connect directly.
Default Governance Roles
Default Governance Roles*
Select the appropriate users or teams for each governance role from the drop-down list. All users configured in the security settings are available for selection.
Admin Roles
Admin Roles*
Select one or more users from the dropdown list for Integration Admin and Security & Governance Admin. All users configured in the security settings are available for selection.
No of Archive Objects
No Of Archive Objects*
This shows the number of recent metadata changes to a dataset at the source. By default, it is off. To enable it, toggle the Archive button and specify the number of objects to archive.
Example: Setting it to 4 retrieves the last four changes, displayed in the 'Version' column of the 'Metadata Changes' module.
Bridge
Select Bridge*
If applicable, select the bridge from the drop-down list.
The drop-down list displays all active bridges that have been configured. These bridges facilitate communication between data sources and the system without requiring changes to firewall rules.
After entering all connection details, the following actions can be performed:
Click Validate to verify the connection.
Click Save to store the connection for future use.
Click Save & Configure to apply additional settings before saving.
The saved connection will appear on the Connectors home page.
Manage Connector Operations
Crawl/Profile
To perform crawl operations, users must be assigned the Integration Admin role.
The Crawl/Profile button allows users to select one or more schemas for crawling.
Navigate to the Connectors page and click Crawl/Profile.
Select the schemas to be crawled.
The Crawl option is selected by default.
After a successful crawl, the information appears in the Data Catalog > Report / Report Column tab.
The Schedule checkbox allows automated crawling for a selected timeframe, from a minute to a year.
Click the Schedule checkbox to enable the Select Period drop-down.
Select a time period for the operation from the drop-down menu.
Click Schedule to initiate metadata collection from the connected source.
The system will automatically execute the crawl operation at the scheduled time.
Other Operations
The Connectors page provides a centralized view of all configured connectors, along with their health status.
Managing connectors includes:
Connector Health: Displays the current status of each connector using a green icon for active connections and a red icon for inactive connections, helping to monitor the connectivity with data sources.
Viewing: Click the Eye icon next to the connector name to view connector details, including databases, tables, columns, and codes.
Nine Dots Menu Options:
To view, edit, validate, build lineage, configure, or delete connectors, click on the Nine Dots menu.
Edit Connector: Update and revalidate the data source.
Validate Connector: Check the connection's integrity.
Settings: Modify connector settings.
Crawler: Configure data extraction.
Access Instructions: Add notes on how data can be accessed.
Business Glossary Settings: Manage term associations at the connector level.
Lineage: Configure Server Dialects for source code parsing and Connector Priority for table lineage connection.
Others: Configure notification recipients for metadata changes.
Build Lineage: Automatically build data lineage using source code parsing.
Delete Connector: Remove a connector with confirmation.
Limitations
PBIX / PBIT Export Limitations
1
PBIX Export from Power BI Report Server
Reports can be exported from Power BI Report Server; however, in some cases, exported .pbix files contain an encrypted DataModel or DataModelSchema that cannot be parsed or processed.
2
Encrypted Data Models
Metadata extraction and lineage generation are not supported for .pbix files with encrypted data models.
3
PBIT File Requirement
When encryption is present, the corresponding .pbit (Power BI template) file is required to extract metadata and build lineage.
SSL and Certificate Limitations
1
HTTPS Connectivity
Secure connectivity fails if the Power BI Report Server SSL certificate is not trusted by the Java runtime used by OvalEdge.
2
Java Trust Store
SSL certificates must be manually imported into the Java keystore (cacerts) to establish a trusted HTTPS connection.
3
Certificate Renewal
When server certificates are renewed or replaced, the updated certificates must be re-imported into the Java keystore.
Environment and Deployment Limitations
1
Multiple Environments
Separate SSL certificate entries are required for each environment (for example, QA, UAT, PROD), each using a unique alias.
2
Containerized Java Deployments
In containerized or isolated Java environments, the default cacerts file may need to be copied and maintained separately.
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