export RLS definition

[whereismydata]

Hi,

can somebody help me please find a solution to export RLS filter definitions? We use PBIRS Jan2022

I need this for an internal security monitoring.

What I tried so far:

• API (https://app.swaggerhub.com/apis/microsoft-rs/PBIRS/2.0#/info) 
• Database

All I get is the role name but not the underlying definition.

I would prefer a solution without using other tools like DaxStudio (want to have an automatic process)

With my cubes I connect to the XMLA Endpoint and extract the definition. Is this also possible with PBIRS. All I can find are ways to connect to an report in the service via XMLA (but I do not know if I can actually extract rls definition from there)

Again, I'm looking for a solution with PowerBI Report Server, not Service 🙂

Thank you!

[whereismydata · Accepted solution]

Hi @d_gosbell, thank you for helping me understand the issue and possible solutions. I hope I got all the facts straight!

In short one has two (or three) possible solutions:

1. If there is an Analysis Service Server (AS) somewhere around, move all data modelling to the AS. This way RLS definiton can be exportet via the XMLA endpoint
2. Without an AS maybe create an PBI Premium account and just replicate the reports. Then export the RLS definition via the XMLA endpoint.
3. Not really an option for users in this subforum: Move all projects to PowerBi Service

Although I have an premium workspace to play around with, I think I'll redesign all my reports and will use AS as single data source. This way I can export RLS definition via the XMLA endpoint. 

[whereismydata]

Hi @d_gosbell ,

ok, thank you for the detailed explanation. Although this is the Report Server subforum, do you know if there is a solution within power bi service?

[d_gosbell]

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@whereismydata wrote:

Hi @d_gosbell ,

ok, thank you for the detailed explanation. Although this is the Report Server subforum, do you know if there is a solution within power bi service?

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If you have premium you could query the XMLA endpoint to get this information. I don't think there is an equivalent for pro workspaces.

[whereismydata]

Hi @d_gosbell ,

thank you for taking time looking into my issue.

Regarding your answer. I came across some articles that state that a PBIRS Dashboard basically has an underlying SSAS instance running. But none of these articles explain how to connect to those instances. Do you have, by any change, some insight into this?

Thanks again!

[d_gosbell]

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@whereismydata wrote:

Regarding your answer. I came across some articles that state that a PBIRS Dashboard basically has an underlying SSAS instance running.

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This is correct

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@whereismydata wrote:

But none of these articles explain how to connect to those instances. Do you have, by any change, some insight into this?

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This is because there is no way to do this.

The internal instance is fully managed by PBIRS. Data models are loaded in and out of memory on demand and it sometimes even load multiple versions of the same data model is loaded into memory (like when doing a deployment or during a scheduled refresh). So you would not have access to all the data models and the ones that do happen to be accessible only have guids for names and could be unloaded from memory at any time.

What you would need is an officially supported XMLA endpoint, but this does not exist for PBIRS.

[d_gosbell]

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@whereismydata wrote:

With my cubes I connect to the XMLA Endpoint and extract the definition. Is this also possible with PBIRS.

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Unfortunately PBIRS does not have the  equivalent of an XMLA endpoint and this is what you would need to extract the RLS filter expressions. I do not believe there is currently any way of automating the extraction of these definitions when using PBIRS.