Building a cross-platform SQL Server → Power BI lineage/impact tool — is this solving a real problem

Hello,

I explored this area previously. As far as I know, there is no single mature tool that reliably checks the full impact of a renamed on-premises SQL Server column across SQL objects, Power Query, the Power BI semantic model, DAX, reports, and individual visuals.

There are tools that cover parts of the problem. Tabular Editor can analyze semantic-model dependencies, Power BI provides lineage and impact analysis at the artifact level, and Purview or third-party lineage tools can cover parts of the upstream data flow. However, the complete end-to-end check still seems fragmented.

You may also want to look at the open-source PBIP Lineage Explorer:

https://github.com/JonathanJihwanKim/pbip-lineage-explorer

It can trace dependencies from Power BI visuals through DAX, model columns, and Power Query back to source columns, including rename chains. However, it does not appear to independently scan the complete SQL Server dependency layer across tables, views, and stored procedures, so your SQL-side integration could still provide real value.

Without a complete lineage tool, I would also recommend keeping schema contracts and source code under version control. For example, teams can keep the current expected table schemas in CSV files with fields such as schemaName, schemaVersion, fieldName, dataType, and nullable, while Git preserves the full history of changes. SQL views and stored procedures, together with PBIP/TMDL/PBIR files, should also be version-controlled and reviewed through pull requests.

This would not replace impact analysis, but it would make schema changes traceable, reviewable, and much safer.