How to create semantic model from lakehouse files or tables using REST API

[Mestu_Paul]

Hello good peoples,

Since microsoft suggest to use Microsoft Fabric I'm trying to replace our current system(power bi dataset) with fabric lakehouse and semantic model via fabric REST API.

But to create semantic model using lakehouse's tables I don't get any documentation or Blog. I also read the post  where no solution exist. I'm expecting now a solution exist to create semantic model using rest api

[v-tsaipranay]

Hi @Mestu_Paul ,

We haven’t received an update from you in some time. Could you please let us know if the issue has been resolved?
If you still require support, please let us know, we are happy to assist you.

Thank you.

[v-tsaipranay · Accepted solution]

Hi @Mestu_Paul ,

Sorry for the delay response.

The final step you are looking for link creating a Semantic Model directly from those Lakehouse tables via REST is not currently supported in Fabric. Currently,  the Fabric REST API surface does not expose any endpoint that can create or publish a Semantic Model (dataset). This is the reason you are unable to complete step 4 using the same API-based approach.

If you need to automate Semantic Model creation or deployment as part of a CI/CD flow, the supported options today are:

• Git Integration with TMDL, where the Semantic Model is defined as code and deployed through Git workflows.
• Deployment Pipelines, if the model already exists and needs to be promoted across environments.

These are the only automation mechanisms currently available for Semantic Models.

If REST API support for Semantic Model creation becomes available in the future, it will be added to the official Fabric REST API documentation.

Hope this helps. Please reach out for further assistance.

Thank you.

[v-tsaipranay]

Hi @Mestu_Paul ,

We haven’t received an update from you in some time. Could you please let us know if the issue has been resolved?
If you still require support, please let us know, we are happy to assist you.

Thank you.

[Mestu_Paul]

Actually I could not find any proper solution. What I want to do actually:

1. Create a lakehouse using rest api 

2. Upload file into this lakehouse via onelake rest api

3. From uploaded files create table in same lakehouse using Load table rest api

4. Now I want to create semantic model using these lakehouse tables using rest api. 

First 3 steps done but cant complete the last step.

[v-tsaipranay]

Hi @Mestu_Paul ,

Thank you for reaching out to the Microsoft fabric community forum.

Could you please let us know if the issue has been resolved? I wanted to check if you had the opportunity to review the information provided by @jennratten  and @svenchio  . If you still require support, please let us know, we are happy to assist you.

Thank you.

[svenchio]

Hi @Mestu_Paul  well, you will need several things, to achieve the creation of a semantic model via API...

#1. Access to Fabric via Auth. token in this repository, in this article The TMSL to TMDL Switch (Part 2): I Did My Homework!  there's the link to a Git repository whit an example that works! I use Power shell ohhhhh I remember I recorded a video to 😁 

#2. You need to define your semantic model in either  TMSL (JSON) or TMDL (YAML-like), what this means is the you need to actually have JSON files as shown in this example using the TMSL format, you can also see that in the model.bim there's the ACTUAL CONNECTION TO THE Lakehouse SQL point  !!! 

#3. You need to encode this files as 64-bit strings and call the API interface Items - Create Semantic Model - REST API (SemanticModel) | Microsoft Learn  with the encoding string as the call parts 

And BUM! You create a semantic model using API ... Of course to make an actual version of this process requieres some coding, but the code I'm sharing on the repo in my article will GIVE YOU A BIG PUSH IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION. 

So, your question has been ANSWERED! This is how you create a semantic model using the API ... please mark this as the answer and kudos for the information would be appreciated. 

[jennratten]

@Mestu_Paul Thanks for the kudo! If this post helps to answer your questions, please consider marking it as a solution so others can find it more quickly when faced with a similar challenge.

Proud to be a Microsoft Fabric Super User!

[jennratten]

Hello @Mestu_Paul - thanks for posting to the Fabric community. 

If you are looking to switch the storage for existing PowerBI datasets/semantic models from import to direct lake, this is a streamlined solution that will do most of the heavy lifting for you and includes step-by-step instructions as well as a video demonstration.  This link will take you to a notebook that you can download from GitHub  semantic-link-labs/notebooks/Migration to Direct Lake.ipynb at main · FabricEssentials/semantic-link...

If you are familiar with notebooks and how to use them in Fabric then just download the notebook, import it into your workspace and follow the instructions.  If you are looking for a more guided experience, I recommend you start the YouTube video demonstration, which appears at the top of the notebook (see the image pasted below).

There are a lot of other really helpful examples in the same GitHub repo and in these others found here: https://fabricessentials.github.io/