Hi, Can we prevent people whom we shared the dashboard with to export the underlying data from the dashboard & from the report? Regards,

The MDX this generates is crazy, and as noted it consumes nearly all resources on the SSAS server. To make matters worse, we've seen instances where the query times out after 4 minutes, then the Enterprise Gateway actually re-tries the same query - madness! I'm working for a large Professional Services organisation, with a large and complex Cube with heaps of Measures, and we can't have our SSAS server getting killed for all the Partners and Directors, just because one of our hundreds of users clicked on "export of underlying data", when all they really wanted was covered by "summarized data". We can't be expected to try and train, and control, the use of this very dangerous MDX query generation, when we have hundreds of casual (but very senior) Power BI users. Additionally, our whole Global organisation is currently one single Tenant, so the admin functions are all controlled Globally. We need the ability to really fine-tune who can do what, in a large Enterprise that's spread around the world. At a minimum, please let us:1) disable Export of Underlying data, ideally with fine granularity of who can and/or can't do it e.g. by AD Group2) and/or remove it from the product altogether3) or re-enginner the Export of Underlying data, so it generates good MDX and doesn't just allow users to select Everything in the Table(s) we've used to create a PowerBI Object (usually, a Table visualisation) Personally, I think the "Export of Underlying data" is a flawed idea, I think it's totally inappropriate in a large Enterprise environment, with a large and complex cube. We don't give all our report users the ability to "SELECT *" from any of our SQL tables, so why ttry and let them do the equivalent on our Cubes?

So there's a simpler way. Go to your workspace where the report is published. Go to "REPORTS" and then under ACTIONS where you see all of those little icons, click on the gear symbol. Under Export Data there is an option to do summarized, none, or summarized and underlying. Choose the one you want and voila! Even if you are an admin to the workspace, if you go into the report you can't export underlying. It'll be grayed out. It's good for that report. Picture below:

Hi v-jiascu-msft, Dataset cannot be downloaded. That is well understood.However, that's not what I'm looking for. At each of report, there's an option to export data, then there are 2 options whether to export the summarized or the underlying data. I'm looking for the way to disable (some or specific) user to export the underlying data from report/visualization. Any advise?

Hi Anonymous & v-jiascu-msft, I tried it, and the export function is not shown in the options.Is there a way to still show the export function, but the prevented users are not able to export the underlying data, but still able to export the summarized data. Thanks

RMV Yes. You can do this in Settings -> Admin Portal -> tenant settings -> Export DataYou can disable it for the entire tenant, or keep the functionality alive for a group of users while disabling it for others.You need to be either an O365 admin or Power BI Administrator (Role applied by the O365 admin) in order to see "Admin Portal" under your Power BI settings (wheel icon) on the header.

Prevent export underlying data | Microsoft Fabric Community

38 Replies

Anonymous
Not applicable
9 years ago
RMV Yes. You can do this in Settings -> Admin Portal -> tenant settings -> Export Data
You can disable it for the entire tenant, or keep the functionality alive for a group of users while disabling it for others.
You need to be either an O365 admin or Power BI Administrator (Role applied by the O365 admin) in order to see "Admin Portal" under your Power BI settings (wheel icon) on the header.
- RMV
  Helper V
  9 years ago
  Hi Anonymous & v-jiascu-msft,
  
  I tried it, and the export function is not shown in the options.
  Is there a way to still show the export function, but the prevented users are not able to export the underlying data, but still able to export the summarized data.
  
  Thanks
  - v-jiascu-msft
    Microsoft Employee
    9 years ago
    RMV
    
    Hi,
    
    According to the official documents, "No-one can see or download the dataset." in shared dashboard. So users can export the summarized data. It seems that you can enable this function and it will satisfy your requirements.
    Reference: https://powerbi.microsoft.com/en-us/documentation/powerbi-service-share-unshare-dashboard/
    
    Best Regards!
    Dale
- MikeGutty
  Frequent Visitor
  8 years ago
  I only seem to have the ability to turn it on/off for the entire organization and would like to add in a specific group of users who can export data, is there some setting I have missed?
  Thanks
  Mike
  - MikeGutty
    Frequent Visitor
    8 years ago
    Sorry I have had another look at this and found how to do this - Sorry to mess you about
Anonymous
Not applicable
8 years ago
I have just added this as an idea as I couldn't find it already posted. You can vote here: https://ideas.powerbi.com/forums/265200-power-bi-ideas/suggestions/32213098-disable-export-of-underlying-data
- schoolbiguy
  Frequent Visitor
  8 years ago
  Thanks dmg... yeah, this is a pretty big problem for us as well. It is essentially causes us to expose sensitive row-level data that is valuable in aggregate form. It is unfortunate because we really only have two options: 1. prevent all users from exporting data, or 2. remove the aggregate data point that is sensitive at the detail level.
  - sokatenaj
    Advocate II
    8 years ago
    Yeah, I really need this to be an option. I have to basically duplicate the report to remove these columns. I work in an org where HR can see salaries, but some HR groups can't see salaries even to non-HR staff. So if there is an aggregate they can export underlying data which I cannot afford to happen.
    
    It just seems like standard functionality that should have been available from the start. Please make this happen Ajay :) You guys do such a great job, but I feel this is such a core piece of functionality from an IT security perspective with sensitive data. I voted for it, but there are only 14 votes for the only one I can find.
v-jiascu-msft
Microsoft Employee
9 years ago
RMV

Hi,

Anonymous's solution is very good. Please have a try.

Best Regards!
Dale
v-jiascu-msft
Microsoft Employee
9 years ago
Hi RMV,

Could you please tell me if the solution worked? Please mark proper posts as answer if it worked.

Best Regards!
Dale
- RMV
  Helper V
  9 years ago
  Hi v-jiascu-msft,
  
  Dataset cannot be downloaded. That is well understood.
  However, that's not what I'm looking for.
  
  At each of report, there's an option to export data, then there are 2 options whether to export the summarized or the underlying data. I'm looking for the way to disable (some or specific) user to export the underlying data from report/visualization.
  
  Any advise?
  - v-jiascu-msft
    Microsoft Employee
    9 years ago
    Hi RMV,
    
    The data we can see from a visualization is summarized (used by the visual). Users can't download dataset from a shared dashboard.
    
    Best Regards!
    Dale
Anonymous
Not applicable
7 years ago
Hi Guys,

Can we restrict an individual user?

When I explored and found that only security group can be restricted. Please correct me If I am wrong.
- Anonymous
  Not applicable
  7 years ago
  Hi Anonymous ,
  
  There is a report setting under option, even same setting is also there in Power BI service - Hide the visual header under visual option (Power BI desktop)
  Under setting visual options ( Hide the visual header in reading view) - In Power BI service
  
  Or
  If you make this change , visual header will not be available for any visual in Power BI adn user will not able to use export functioanlity in Power BI.
  
  You can also use Export data "none"
  
  This can be one of the fix for your curretnt situation. BY doing so, user will not abe able to export data from report.
  
  Thanks,
  Amit
- Anonymous
  Not applicable
  7 years ago
  Here I got complete question:
  
  You have a user named User11. User11 is a member of a security group named XYZ PowerBI.
  User11 has access to a workspace named XYZ Workspace.
  You need to prevent User11 from exporting data from the visualizations in XYZ Workspace.
  
  Which is correct here:
  1 From the Microsoft Office 365 Admin center, you modify the properties of XYZ PowerBI. (this is right according to me)
  OR
  2 From the Power BI Admin portal, you modify the Tenant settings. (Admin portal-- Tenant settings-- you can restrict groups and not individual)
  OR
  3 From the Microsoft Office 365 Admin center, you remove User11 from the All Users security group. (If you do so then user will not have access to anything)
  OR
  4 From the PowerBI setting, you modify the Developer Settings
  
  My ans is 1

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Prevent export underlying data

38 Replies

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