Error fetching data for this visual

[mp390988]

Hi,

Can someone please help me as I have been tiredlessly trying to resolve this strange issue on my report.

Some of the visuals are displaying an error message saying "Error fetching data for this visual".

For example, like this:

Its strange because the first visual displays without any issues but the second one doesn't.

The second one uses measures.

I tried deleting the measures and creating new ones but that hasn't helped.

The error says:

A connection could not be made to the data source with the Name of '{"protocol":"analysis-services","address":{"server":"powerbi://api.powerbi.com/v1.0/myorg/Revenue%20Reports","database":"Profit },"authentication":null,"query":null}'.

This datasaet for this report uses a live connection to an existing semantic model called Profit. 

Users who have access to Profit have no issues.

But those who don't have access to Profit are experiencing issues.

But I don't want users to have access to Profit because it contains sensitive data and when I built out this report by connecting to the semantic model Profit, I didn't bring in all the tables, only a few and then I did selectcolumns and in my formula I referenced the tables I imported from Profit as the base tables. 

But the strange thing is that the first visual disaplays fine without any issues for all users irrespective of whether they have permissions to Profit or not. So this tells me it can't be a permissions issue otherwise none of the visuals would display, right?

Thanks

[mp390988]

Hi @danextian ,

I am not sure how to do a direct query to another semantic model so I don't understand when you say I'm using a DirectQuery to a semantic model. All I did was Get Data > Power BI semantic models > then selected only 3 tables out of 10 from that semantic model.

Then what I did was created 3 calculated tables based on those 3 tables i picked from the pre-exisiting semantic model. I used SELECTCOLUMNS. This then means I can now view the data in the Table View and these tables are stored automatically as Import. 

All my visuals uses fields from the calculated tables and not directly from the tables from the semantic model, if that makes sense?

Thank You

[danextian]

When your model already contains data, connecting to a Power BI semantic model forces DirectQuery. A live connection does not allow you to select tables, and it only occurs when the model is completely empty - no imported tables, no calculated tables, no DirectQuery sources, and no unloaded queries. With a live connection, you also cannot create new columns or modify relationships; all of that must be done in the source semantic model. If it were a live connection, you would see a message in the bottom right saying “Connected live to the Power BI semantic model: <name> in <workspace>.”

[v-menakakota · Accepted solution]

Hi @mp390988 

Thanks for reaching out to the Microsoft fabric community forum.

I would also take a moment to thank @danextian    , for actively participating in the community forum and for the solutions you’ve been sharing in the community forum. Your contributions make a real difference.
Yes, users must have at least Read (Viewer) access to the Profit semantic model, or the visuals that trigger queries will fail.

I hope the above details help you fix the issue. If you still have any questions or need more help, feel free to reach out. We’re always here to support you

Best Regards, 
Community Support Team

[v-menakakota]

Hi @mp390988 ,

I hope the above details help you fix the issue. If you still have any questions or need more help, feel free to reach out. We’re always here to support you

Best Regards, 
Community Support Team

[danextian]

Hi @mp390988 

It looks like you’re using DirectQuery to a semantic model rather than a simple live connection. If it were a live connection, the first visual would have shown an error as well. Using more than one semantic model in a report, or adding any additional data source, forces the connection to switch to DirectQuery. DirectQuery to another semantic model requires viewers to authenticate and doesn’t use the author’s credentials. My usual workaround is to create a blank report page using that semantic model and give users view access to it.

[mp390988]

Hi @danextian ,

I am trying to follow your workaround where you said create a blank report page using that semantic model (Profit) and give users view access to it. I tried doing that and tested it at the user's machine and they get the following error. Do I need to give them view access to the semantic model or just the report? The idea is that I don't want them to have any access to the semantic model Profit.

Thanks

[mp390988]

Hi @danextian ,

Do i need to give them read access to the underlying semantic models?

Thanks

[danextian]

I forgot to mention that my workaround worked because the reports are published via a workspace app and the semantic models are in the same workspace. I also own the semantic model.

[syahmisi98]

The most likely cause is a composite model scenario.

Even though the report connects to the Profit semantic model, only some of the tables you used are actually imported locally into the new model. The first visual works because it relies only on these local/imported tables, so it does not query the Profit dataset.

However, the second visual uses a measure that still references a remote table in the Profit semantic model. When users without permission try to view that visual, Power BI attempts to query Profit directly and fails hence the connection error.

So the issue isn’t the measure itself but that some visuals still depend on remote (DirectQuery) objects from Profit which require users to have access to that underlying model.

[mp390988]

Both visuals are built from using fields from a calculated table.

The measures also refer to the calculated tables.

[danextian]

Permission will still be required if the calculated table are referencing a semantic model through direct query. I tried a calculated table approach as a workaround to import data from a semantic model in a  different workspace the users had no access to. It worked one time but then the permision issue kicked in.

[mp390988]

Hi,

The two visuals come from the same data source

Thanks

[FBergamaschi]

Hi,

thw two visuals show data from different tables coming from different data sources? Or from the same data source?

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