Connecting Semantic Model in Pro Workspace to Dataflows in PPU Workspace

[Dave1mo1]

Hello,

Last week I tested a PPU license to see if the following pattern would work:

1. Create dataflows connecting to my Oracle database using incremental refresh policies in a PPU-licensed workspace..

2. Connecting a semantic model in a Pro-licensed workspace to those dataflows.

3. Setting up both the semantic model and dataflows on a regular scheduled refresh schedule.

This all worked as I had hoped it would. As a result, I upgraded my license from Pro to PPU, and made sure the workspace with the dataflows was configured as a PPU workspace. Now I'm running into the following issue:

1. The dataflows update as expected, incrementally and on schedule.

2. The semantic model is throwing off a "Access token has expired, resubmit with a new access token" error when the semantic model is refreshed.

I thought I'd read that semantic models in Pro workspace can connect to dataflows in PPU workspaces, but that information may be old (I think the forum posts are 1-2 years old where I'd read about this pattern). If that's no longer the case, why was I able to connect a semantic model in a Pro workspace to these dataflows during my PPU trial? Also, does this mean that if I want to use the incremental refresh feature in dataflows at any point in my pipeline, the resulting semantic model will have to reside in a PPU workspace? We'd have to upgrade a bunch of licenses if so - just want to make sure I understand.

Thanks so much!

[tayloramy · Accepted solution]

Hi @Dave1mo1, 

You are very close. Two separate things are at play here.

1. Licensing and where items live
- You can connect a dataset to a dataflow across workspaces, including connecting from a Pro workspace to a dataflow that lives in a PPU workspace. That cross workspace connection is supported, and Desktop uses a special connector identity for dataflows, not your signed in user. See Configure and consume a dataflow, notes about the Dataflows connector credentials and cross workspace access here: Configure and consume a dataflow.
- However, if a dataflow runs in a PPU workspace, anyone accessing downstream content must have PPU. You cannot use a PPU dataflow and then let non PPU users consume the resulting dataset or reports. Microsoft calls this out directly in the PPU article. See the limitation here: Power BI Premium Per User.

2. The specific refresh error
- The error Access token has expired usually means the dataset lost its stored credentials for the Power BI dataflows source when you changed licensing or workspace mode. The fix is to re authenticate the dataset to the dataflow. In the Service, go to the dataset, Settings, Data source credentials, find Power BI dataflows, and Edit credentials. Sign in with an account that has at least Contributor on the PPU workspace that hosts the dataflow. The note about the Dataflows connector using a different set of credentials is here: Configure and consume a dataflow.

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