Power BI Custom Visuals not working in Report Server September 2022

[Anonymous]

While importing custom visuals works just fine for Power BI Desktop for Report Server September 2022, the visuals break when uploaded to an associated Report Server with the same version. The following error is displayed: "to see this custom visual, add it to this report first:", followed by a visual-specific identifier.

Downgrading your desktop version to May 2022 resolves this problem--even if the Report Server version remains the same--so the issue lies in the September 2022 Desktop version of the application. Now, I am forced to downgrade any time I want to upload a report with a custom visual to my Report Server.

[v-xiaoyan-msft]

Hi @Anonymous ,

This doesn't seem to be a bug from RS, but a mismatch between the development of custom visuals and the PBI update.

We see that a super user named d_gosbell from the RS forum has given a good summary of this problem：

“Unfortunately because most of the producers of custom visuals are targetting the cloud version of Power BI  they don't consistently publish the API version they are targetting. 

The one way to know for sure is to download the .pbiviz file to your machine. Then if you rename it to a .zip file you can open it up and there should be a folder that has a .pbiviz.json file in it. This is just a text file, if you open it in a text editor like Notepad or Visual Studio Code then search for the text "apiVersion" you will find the api version that the visual was developed against.”

Best regards.
Community Support Team_ Caitlyn

[ImreP]

Hi @v-xiaoyan-msft ,

The Chiclet slicer custom visual is produced by Microsoft. 

Could you please confirm whether then 2.0.0.0 version of the Chiclet slicer is compatible with Power BI Report Server September 2022? 

Thanks.

Imre

[wtg_bko]

I hit the same issue with the Advance Card visual (which is free and certified) and have checked the json file that the target api in the custom visuals is 2.1.0. I checked the update notes for PBI RS Sep-22. It seems MS updated the API to v4.7 for some updates to the custom visual licencing feature. In the past we only cannot use visual with target API > web service API, but the opposite will work (if the RS web service api >= target API then custom vis still works). Something related to this change might have broken the backward compatibility.

I have tested what @Anonymous said too and if I used May 2022 version to create the report amd added the same free custom visual from the marketplace then upload the report to RS the custom vis is working on the RS too.

My colleague also had the same issue with another free custom vis from the marketplace so this issue can be replicated easily.

I have also got reports which already had the custom vis added before the upgrade of my desktop RS but I have since updated and saved the reports in Sep-22 Desktop and the custom vis still works in RS but any new report created in Sep-22 Desktop RS version cannot show custom vis after uploading to RS. There is definitely some bug or a change in the Desktop RS report packaging that breaks this backward compability.

[ImreP]

Hi @wtg_bko ,

There has been an update to the Report Server September 2022 version. That has fixed the custom visuals issue. You need to update the Report Server, updating the Desktop is not enough in my experience. 

Change log for Power BI Report Server - Power BI | Microsoft Learn

Download Microsoft Power BI Report Server- September 2022 from Official Microsoft Download Center

Imre

[Junato47]

Hi @ImreP , i am also facing the same issue, Did the update worked for you?

[ImreP]

@Junato47 Yes, updating the Report Server with the updated September 2022 version solved the custom visuals issue. 

[Junato47]

Hi @ImreP 

Should I download the desktop and server of Report servers, or will the issue be resolved if only the desktop(the highlighted one in yellow) is downloaded?

[ImreP]

Hi @Junato47 ,

You need to update the Report Server. (PowerBIReportServer.exe) After that custom visuals should work with any September 2022 Desktop. (or earlier Desktop versions)

[wtg_bko]

Thanks @ImreP ,

Our server admin installed the patched version of the Sep-22 RS released in Dec-2022 a few days after I read your comment and I confirmed that the custom visuals worked after. I would have upvoted your reply if the option was available.