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Version: I2023.3.0

Using Power BI Service with token-based authentication

You can publish and share reports in Power BI Service, so that other users can also run them. This can be achieved with token-based authentication and Azure Active Directory.

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AtScale offers Beta support for the token-based authentication features described in this section of the user documentation. Official support for these features is planned for future releases. If interested in beta testing, please contact your Account Executive.

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In case you manage AtScale users using Windows authentication, see Using Power BI Service with Windows Authentication.

Before you begin​

Make sure the following prerequisites are met:

Configuring Power BI Gateway​

The following steps should be performed by an AtScale administrator:

  1. Install Power BI Gateway on a Windows machine that is in the same domain as your Directory server.

    This server should be reachable from Power BI Service via a secure connection (for example, IP Sec Tunnel), and should be able to access your AtScale server. For more information see the Power BI Gateway documentation.

  2. Login to Power BI Service as a pbi service admin and go to Settings > Manage Gateways. Follow the Microsoft documentation instructions to connect to your Gateway.

  3. Click "Add Datasource" on the Manage Gateways screen.

  4. Give your AtScale datasource a name and select "Analysis Services" as the data source type.

  5. Enter the necessary connection information to connect to the AtScale system:

    1. Follow the procedure in Getting Cube Connection Information to access and copy the URL displayed for MDX + TOKEN for the required cube.
    2. Replace the personal token at the end with the service token.
    3. Enter this URL in Power BI Service.

  6. Click "Add". A connection confirmation indicates that Power BI Service successfully completed the authentication.

Now Cube designers can start creating reports as described in the next section.

Creating and publishing reports​

The following steps should be performed by a Cube designer:

  1. Create a report using Power BI Desktop connected to the AtScale cube.

    This should be done using the URL with the personal token displayed for MDX + TOKEN in AtScale.

  2. Once ready, publish the report to the Power BI Service by clicking the "Publish" button (must be logged in to Power BI Service).

    Consider that at that point the report is still not executable by end users.

  3. Request approval from the AtScale administrator for the report to be activated in the portal.

    For example, this could be done by saving the report as a file with .pbix extension and sending it to the administrator.

The administrator should proceed as described in the next section.

Approving and sharing the report​

An administrator should approve a report in the following way:

  1. Open and review the received report in Power BI Desktop.
  2. Go to Transform data > Data source settings and replace the personal token in the URL with the service token.
  3. Share the report.

Now the Cube designer should share the report in the following way:

  1. Using the same account that you used to author the report, log on to the Power BI Service.
  2. Find the new report in the workspace you selected when publishing. Click the "Share" icon.
  3. Type in the user names of the other users that you want to run the report and click the "Share" button.

Other Power BI Service users will now be able to run the report. Additionally, their identity will be used to enforce Run-Time Cube security and will be displayed on the AtScale Query Screen.

More Information​