Power BI Azure Analysis Services integration done well
Power BI Azure Analysis Services integration connects reports to a tabular model that already holds your measures and security roles. Microsoft documents an Azure Analysis Services connector with two modes, Connect live and Import. Most teams choose the live mode, because the model stays the single place for business logic. However, that choice also sets limits a report author should know first.
- Connect live or Import
- Organizational account sign-in
- One model, many reports
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How does Power BI Azure Analysis Services integration work?
The author picks the Azure Analysis Services connector in Power BI Desktop and enters the server name. Then they choose Connect live or Import. Sign-in uses an organizational account, which is the authentication kind Microsoft's article lists.
With Connect live, Power BI stores no data. Each visual sends a query to the model and shows the answer. So measures, hierarchies and roles all come from the server.
Import works differently. Power BI runs a query against the model and copies the result into its own semantic model. The article notes that an author can supply an MDX or DAX query for that purpose.
What a live connection gives and what it limits
A live connection is simple to run, but it shifts some work to the model owner.
One set of measures
Every report reads the same definitions. So two pages never disagree about margin.
Roles from the model
Row-level security lives on the server. Then each user sees only the rows their role allows.
No Power Query steps
A live connection cannot reshape data in the report. Therefore changes go to the model instead.
Report measures
Authors can still add measures in the report. However, shared logic belongs in the model.
Current data
Reports show whatever the model holds. So freshness depends on the model's own processing schedule.
Server capacity
Every click becomes a query. When many people use a report, the server tier must cope.
When is Import from a tabular model the better choice?
Import makes sense when a report must blend model data with another source. For example, a planner may need budget figures from a spreadsheet beside actuals from the model.
It also helps when the server is small and busy. An imported copy answers from Power BI capacity, so the server rests between refreshes. Still, the copy can drift from the model, and its roles do not carry over.
So we treat Import as the exception. Where it is used, we rebuild security in Power BI and document the refresh. Otherwise people assume the copy follows the same rules as the source. Models that still run on your own servers are covered on the Power BI SQL Server Analysis Services integration page. Model design itself is part of Power BI data modeling.
Faults in a Power BI Azure Analysis Services integration
We check this list when reports on a tabular model are slow or confusing.
- Users without a role on the model
- Report measures that duplicate model measures
- Imported copies with no security
- A server tier too small for peak use
- Model processing that overlaps busy hours
- No owner for change requests to the model
Our steps in Power BI Azure Analysis Services integration
Four stages keep the model owner and the report authors aligned.
Review the model
First we read the tables, measures and roles, and we note what reports need but lack.
Choose the mode
Then we confirm Connect live as the default and list any report that needs Import.
Build the reports
Next we design pages on top of the model and show them in weekly demos.
Tune and hand over
Finally we test speed under load and document who changes what, since two teams share the result.
Azure Analysis Services and Power BI: common questions
Does Power BI have a native Azure Analysis Services connector?
Yes. Microsoft's Power Query connector list includes an Azure Analysis Services connector, and its article marks it as generally available. The article lists Import and Connect live as capabilities for Power BI semantic models. It lists an organizational account as the authentication type.
Does Power BI need a gateway for Azure Analysis Services?
The reports themselves usually do not, because the server is a cloud service that Power BI reaches with an organizational account. Microsoft's connector article also notes that this connector is not currently supported on the on-premises data gateway. The model may still use a gateway to load its own on-premises sources.
Should we move from Azure Analysis Services to Power BI models?
Many teams ask this, since Power BI semantic models now cover much of the same ground. The answer depends on your model size, features and licenses. We compare both options for your case and explain the trade-offs. We do not resell licenses, so the advice has no sales angle.
Can Power BI apply Azure Analysis Services security roles?
With Connect live, yes. The query runs as the signed-in user, so the roles defined on the model filter the data. With Import, the roles do not travel with the copy. In that case we define row-level security again in the Power BI model and test it.
How do we reach a consultant about tabular models?
Call (480) 485-7373 or send a message and expect a reply within 2 hours. We begin with a free 30-minute assessment. Power BI Agency is a division of Sataware Technologies and is independent of Microsoft. Our small team works online.
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