Using Active Directory domains and forests as a data source

[PrasBiswas]

Can I connect to over 60 Domains and many Forests in a globally deployed Active Directory  to create reports that sums them up / rolls them up / generates reprots for data across 60 domains (mostly from an HR and Accounts perspective)?

I was told I don't need to use Power Query to do this....

If yes, I need the exact steps to do this please....

Can I then save these reports and share them with users? If yes How?

[Greg_Deckler]

You probably don't need to use Power Query to do this, but I can't imagine it would be easier in anything else.

1. Download Desktop

2. Get Data | Other | Active Directory

3. Enter domain and credentials

4. Rinse and repeat 59 more times

5. Create Append query(ies) to merge all of these queries into one fantabulous query

6. Use the merged query table to create report(s)

7. Use the Publish button in the ribbon to publish the reports to Power BI Service

8. Create dashboard from visualizations in reports and share the dashboard

9. Go ask your boss for a raise

10. Feel sad that you did not get a raise

[PrasBiswas]

Haha, that was a fun read.

Now if I used Power Query in Excel how would this be any easier? And why would you recommend that approach?

[Greg_Deckler · Accepted solution]

Yes, the overall process would be the same. You have Active Directory connector in Power Query (at least for Excel 2013). And you would still do the append query process. The reports and sharing would be a bit different, you would create Power View tabs in Excel for your reports, put the Excel file on One Drive and then connect to it, pin your visualizations to dashboards, etc. Alternatively, you could just import the Excel file into a dataset and then use Power BI Service to create reports and then pin visualizations to dashboards.

I don't see a real advantage to use one or the Excel or Desktop. If you are talking about the approach of using Append queries, I am recommending that approach because I don't know of any other way to do it in Power Query/Power BI. The AD connector only allows you to connect to a single domain as far as I am aware so you would have to do each one individually and then either deal with 60 different tables or append/merge them together.