Power Bi report server architecture question

[rohithkothaneth]

Hello,

I have a requirement to install Power BI Report server on a client network within their own firewall.  They have seperate firewall for the app, database and web tier.  Could I be able to install Power BI Report server in the app side and have the web based url hosted in the web tier to support the clients requirement.  Just throwing it out for ideas.

had anyone encountered similar architecture chnage for their system, any idea around this will be appreciated.

Thanks,

Rohith

[Anonymous]

Yes we do exactly this. Pretty much as Greg describes.

We had a few issues with Authentication as we wanted to implement row level security in the Tabular and DB sources which complicated it a bit (Kereberos may well be needed) but it works pretty much out of the box as long as you watch out for it as you set everything up. A couple of "test" reports to confirm the user identity that is actually being passed and the datasets they can see made it way easier to diagnose our issues.

[rohithkothaneth]

Thank you stpnet. 

[Greg_Deckler]

Yes, I would refer you to:

https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/sql/sql-server/install/what-s-new-in-sql-server-installation?view=s...

I've never seen a 3 tier implementation of SSRS. You will likely want to have your web server in the App tier and your data in the Data tier. Most security folks go nuts if you try to wire the web tier and data tier directly or have your data teir in the app tier. Depends on how crazy your security folks are though.

[rohithkothaneth]

Hi Greg,

The client system are designed such that, the data and Applciation tier are within the same firewall and  web tier on a different tier.

So if we have the MS SQL database in the data tier and PBI Report Server (windows server) in the app tier. So these both will fall into the first firewall. 

Then how are the web tier configured here?  if I open the web portal and try to refresh the report opened outside the firewall? Getting a hole punched through the firewall will be a question here and not sure if that will be agreed?

Thanks,
Rohith

[Greg_Deckler · Accepted solution]

Right, so I would put the front end of Report Server in the web tier and the database in the app/data tier.

[rohithkothaneth]

Thank you Greg for your quick response.  Appreciate it.  Let me work through this approach and see who it goes. Will let you knwo the status.