Solved: Report Access in PowerBI Report Server

Anonymous · ‎04-13-2021

I'm using PowerBI Report Server (Jan 2021),
For each published report, I have to give access to the specified users in the Security options.

Is there a way that I can create a 'master user' that everyone concerned can use it ?
or even make the reports public open , and I'll control the security by other means..

Any thoughts that may help ?

Thanks in advance.

d_gosbell · ‎04-13-2021

Rather than giving access at the individual report level you can grant access at the folder level. If you click the "Manage Folder" button in the right hand side of the menu bar on the home page you can grant access there. And you can use a group like "Domain Users" to give access to everyone.

However you will need to go back to all your reports and click the "use same security as parent folder" option to undo the security overrides you have made.

@Anonymous wrote:

or even make the reports public open , and I'll control the security by other means..

I would not advise trying to find other means to secure your reports as there is the potential for people to work around other mechanisms. I think you would be much better off making use of the security controls that exist in the product. Generally what we do is to get a set of AD Groups created, then give those groups access to folders in Report Server. Then it's just a matter of putting people in the appropriate AD groups to give them access to all the reports they need for a specific role (eg. Finance, IT, Sales, etc)

View solution in original post

d_gosbell · ‎04-13-2021

Rather than giving access at the individual report level you can grant access at the folder level. If you click the "Manage Folder" button in the right hand side of the menu bar on the home page you can grant access there. And you can use a group like "Domain Users" to give access to everyone.

However you will need to go back to all your reports and click the "use same security as parent folder" option to undo the security overrides you have made.

@Anonymous wrote:

or even make the reports public open , and I'll control the security by other means..

I would not advise trying to find other means to secure your reports as there is the potential for people to work around other mechanisms. I think you would be much better off making use of the security controls that exist in the product. Generally what we do is to get a set of AD Groups created, then give those groups access to folders in Report Server. Then it's just a matter of putting people in the appropriate AD groups to give them access to all the reports they need for a specific role (eg. Finance, IT, Sales, etc)