Accessing SFTP Data in Power BI Services (not Microsoft Fabric).

[hemanthsmg]

Hi Team,

I’m working on a requirement to extract SFTP folder metadata specifically folder name, file name, and last modified date and use it to build a stacked chart in a Power BI dashboard. The data needs to be as close to real time as possible.

This solution should be implemented using Power BI only (not Microsoft Fabric).

At the same time, we must ensure that no actual SFTP file data is stored or duplicated, as it contains sensitive client information. Only metadata should be accessed and used for reporting purposes.

Could you please suggest the best approach or architecture to achieve this in Power BI while maintaining security and avoiding data duplication?

cc : @PBI @PBIHelp 

Thanks in advance for your guidance.

[SaiTejaTalasila · Accepted solution]

Hi @hemanthsmg ,

A secure solution is to use Power Automate to pull only SFTP metadata (folder name, file name, last modified date) into a structured SharePoint list, then connect Power BI Service to that list for reporting. This avoids duplicating sensitive file content, keeps governance centralized in SharePoint, and allows near real-time refresh by scheduling the flow. 

The Only Files I Ever Wanted: Connect to the S&P SFTP Site and Download Files to a Folder using Power Automate

https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/connect-sftp-site-download-files-folder-using-power-automate-romano?u...

Thanks,

Sai Teja 

[v-veshwara-msft]

Hi @hemanthsmg ,
We wanted to kindly follow up regarding your query. If you need any further assistance, please reach out.
Thank you.

[v-veshwara-msft]

Hi @hemanthsmg ,
Thanks for reaching out to Microsoft Fabric Community.

Just checking in to see if you query is resolved and if any responses were helpful.
Otherwise, feel free to reach out for further assistance.

Thank you.

[GilbertQ]

Hi @hemanthsmg 

As far as I am aware there is no way to get data out of an SFTP folder unless you are using something like Azure Blob Storage connected to your SFTP folder where you can then extract the meta data. In terms of the best architecture to do this is something you would need to. Get a consultant or a company to assist you.