Forum Discussion
Power BI Report Server with custom authentication (2025)
Hi everyone, I'm new and I'm trying to configure Power BI Report Server with custom authentication. I installed a standard Windows Server 2025, SQL Server 2025, and the Power BI Report Server evaluation version. I wanted to know how to configure custom authentication via a web form login page. Is there a guide available? I'm not very experienced, so I'd need the steps. Another question: does the new version of Power BI Report Server support custom authentication?
Thank you in advance.
Regards
Hi,
You will find a similar topic here:
Regards,
Denis
Hi fabio78, the architecture remains the same as previous versions. You can implement custom authentication by creating a Security Extension using .NET and registering it in the Report Server configuration. There is no native web form login feature, so you must build it yourself.
Steps to Configure Custom Authentication
Here’s the high-level process:1. Develop a Custom Security Extension
- Create a .NET class library implementing the following interfaces:
- IAuthenticationExtension
- IAuthorizationExtension
- These handle:
- Authentication: Validate user credentials from your web form.
- Authorization: Define roles and permissions.
Microsoft provides a sample here:
https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/sql/reporting-services/extensions/security-extension-sample2. Deploy the Extension
- Copy your compiled DLL to:
C:\Program Files\Microsoft Power BI Report Server\PBIRS\ReportServer\bin
- Update rsreportserver.config:
- Add your custom extension under <Authentication> and <Security> sections.
- Update rssrvpolicy.config to grant permissions to your assembly.
3. Configure the Login Page
- Create a custom ASP.NET page for login.
- On successful login, issue an authentication cookie or token that your extension validates.
- Redirect users to the Report Server portal.
4. Restart Services
- Restart the Power BI Report Server service after changes.
Important Considerations
- No official support for forms authentication out-of-the-box; everything is custom.
- Ensure HTTPS is enabled for security.
- Test thoroughly because custom extensions bypass standard Windows security.
- Keep in mind that Power BI Report Server does not support Azure AD authentication—only custom or Windows.
References:
Extensions security for Azure Arc-enabled servers - Azure Arc | Microsoft Learn
Security extensions overview - SQL Server Reporting Services (SSRS) | Microsoft Learn
If this response was helpful in any way, I’d gladly accept a 👍much like the joy of seeing a DAX measure work first time without needing another FILTER.
Please mark it as the correct solution. It helps other community members find their way faster (and saves them from another endless loop 🌀.
- Create a .NET class library implementing the following interfaces:
2 Replies
Hi,
You will find a similar topic here:
Regards,
Denis
Hi fabio78, the architecture remains the same as previous versions. You can implement custom authentication by creating a Security Extension using .NET and registering it in the Report Server configuration. There is no native web form login feature, so you must build it yourself.
Steps to Configure Custom Authentication
Here’s the high-level process:1. Develop a Custom Security Extension
- Create a .NET class library implementing the following interfaces:
- IAuthenticationExtension
- IAuthorizationExtension
- These handle:
- Authentication: Validate user credentials from your web form.
- Authorization: Define roles and permissions.
Microsoft provides a sample here:
https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/sql/reporting-services/extensions/security-extension-sample2. Deploy the Extension
- Copy your compiled DLL to:
C:\Program Files\Microsoft Power BI Report Server\PBIRS\ReportServer\bin
- Update rsreportserver.config:
- Add your custom extension under <Authentication> and <Security> sections.
- Update rssrvpolicy.config to grant permissions to your assembly.
3. Configure the Login Page
- Create a custom ASP.NET page for login.
- On successful login, issue an authentication cookie or token that your extension validates.
- Redirect users to the Report Server portal.
4. Restart Services
- Restart the Power BI Report Server service after changes.
Important Considerations
- No official support for forms authentication out-of-the-box; everything is custom.
- Ensure HTTPS is enabled for security.
- Test thoroughly because custom extensions bypass standard Windows security.
- Keep in mind that Power BI Report Server does not support Azure AD authentication—only custom or Windows.
References:
Extensions security for Azure Arc-enabled servers - Azure Arc | Microsoft Learn
Security extensions overview - SQL Server Reporting Services (SSRS) | Microsoft Learn
If this response was helpful in any way, I’d gladly accept a 👍much like the joy of seeing a DAX measure work first time without needing another FILTER.
Please mark it as the correct solution. It helps other community members find their way faster (and saves them from another endless loop 🌀.
- Create a .NET class library implementing the following interfaces: