Power Bi report builder connection

Hi shavish ,

• Ensure the SQL Server Analysis Services instance for the Power BI dataset allows Named Pipes connections.
• Check that your firewall and network settings permit Named Pipes traffic.
• Use the XMLA endpoint URL of your Power BI workspace to connect in Report Builder instead of Named Pipes.
• Verify your user account has the necessary permissions on the Power BI workspace and dataset.

Hi shavish , Thank you for reaching out to the Microsoft Community Forum.

Since Power BI Desktop connects fine, your network and credentials are likely not the issue. The problem is probably due to Report Builder defaulting to the wrong protocol or using a misconfigured connection. Depending on what you mean by “office server,” the fix will differ slightly, whether you're connecting to a Power BI dataset in the cloud or to an on-premises SQL Server or SSAS instance.

If you're connecting to a Power BI dataset hosted in the cloud, Named Pipes isn’t used at all, these datasets are accessed via XMLA over HTTPS. In Report Builder, create a new data source, choose Microsoft SQL Server Analysis Services as the connection type, and use XMLA endpoint format: powerbi://api.powerbi.com/v1.0/myorg/YourWorkspaceName
Sign in with your Power BI (Azure AD) account. Make sure the workspace is in a Premium or Premium Per User capacity, XMLA read/write is enabled, and you have Build permission on the dataset. This route avoids the Named Pipes protocol entirely and should connect without issue.

If instead you're connecting to an on-premises SQL Server or SSAS instance, Report Builder may be defaulting to Named Pipes, while Power BI Desktop connects using TCP/IP. To fix this, set your connection string in Report Builder like this: tcp:YourServerName,1433. Replace 1433 with the correct port if it’s different. On the server, open SQL Server Configuration Manager, go to SQL Server Network Configuration -> Protocols for [YourInstance] and ensure TCP/IP is enabled. You can also disable Named Pipes if you’re not using it. Restart the SQL Server or SSAS service, confirm the firewall allows traffic on the correct TCP port and update the SQL Native Client or MSOLAP drivers on your machine. To confirm your credentials are valid, test the same login in SQL Server Management Studio.

If this helped solve the issue, please consider marking it “Accept as Solution” and giving a ‘Kudos’ so others with similar queries may find it more easily. If not, please share the details, always happy to help.
Thank you.