Forum Discussion
Power BI Dataset RLS - Power BI Report Builder
Hello lherbert501,
When Power BI Report Builder connects to a Power BI semantic model, the dataset query is generated as DAX, but Microsoft documents that the executing user identity isn’t referenced directly inside the DAX text.Instead, the supported approach is:
- Use the built‑in UserID field as the default value for a report parameter
- Bind that parameter in the dataset filter or dataset parameter
- The semantic model then evaluates its existing RLS rules using the passed user context
Microsoft also documents that row‑level security rules including manager or hierarchy logic (for example PATH‑based relationships) are evaluated entirely within the semantic model. Report Builder does not implement or modify hierarchy logic; it only submits queries under the current user context. Once the semantic model applies RLS, all queries from the paginated report including those used for parameters return only the permitted rows.
Thank you.
Hi lherbert501
RLS with a Power BI semantic model and a paginated report is supported, so the issue is probably not that paginated reports “don’t work” with RLS. Microsoft’s guidance is that for RLS to work with Report Builder, the consuming users need at least Viewer access to the workspace that hosts the semantic model and Build permission on the semantic model/dataset. Build permission is also specifically required for paginated reports based on a semantic model.
I would check these items first:
Confirm the users opening the paginated report have Viewer on the workspace hosting the semantic model.
Confirm they also have Build permission on the semantic model/dataset, either directly or via app/workspace configuration.
Recreate the data source / dataset connection inside Report Builder and republish the RDL, because this generic Analysis Services connection error is often connection-related rather than an actual RLS-definition problem. Similar community cases show the same “Connection open intermittent error while reading in Analysis Services” message.
Ask the affected user to open See details and share the full error text, because the message shown in the screenshot is too generic to isolate the root cause.
So my suspicion is: permissions first, report data source second, RLS logic third.
If this post helps, then please consider Accepting it as the solution to help the other members find it more quickly
Hi Ritaf1983 ,
Thankyou for your reply.
Just for a bit more context I have lets say factsales, dimuser and dimteam in my Power Bi dataset. This is what I have tested on using below and this works fine in PBI.
Role Dax