Downloading a .pbix file after deployment isn't supported - consider improvement?

[lukeyin96690]

I'm using the deployment pipelines function under the Fabric account at the moment. 

I encountered this issue from the MS documentation 

https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/fabric/cicd/deployment-pipelines/understand-the-deployment-process

stating '- Downloading a .pbix file after deployment isn't supported'; does this mean when a report hits the Prod stage and is shared with the user the user would not be able to download a pbix.? Isn't that a shame a user cannot download a pbix. file from the Prod workspace if this is the case? 

I hope the developer of Power BI can see this post and maybe do something to fix this defect. 

Really appreciate. 

[Anonymous · Accepted solution]

The point of having a Dev/Test/Prod deployment pipeline, is to help with change management. The developer of a pbix would only every deplay from the Power BI Desktop to the Dev workspace. The movement of the dev pbix file to Tes would enable testers to validate the new development. Once approved, it moves to the Prod environment where no one should be making changes. The deployment would change the connection from a Dev database, to a test database to a Prod database. An end user should never be able to connect a pbix file to a production database. That is why you use a deployment pipeline.

If the end user needs a pbix file, then the developer could send a file to the end user, BUT can that use connect to the data source? If no, then the development data is all they should see.

[michalw88]

Preventing regular users (let's say, anyone lower than admin) from downloading Power BI report & dataset from the workspace is full understandable.

But why is it the same also for admins? If I ever want to download PROD version of report (or event TEST from workspace) I am currently not able to do that, if report was deployed using deployment pipelines.

Obviously I could implement GIT integration and maybe that would make it better, but still, this requires more work and setup. I think enabling report download from workspace should always be an option at least for Admin-level users, in case hot-fix is needed.

Otherwsie, deployment pipelines as a functionality itself enforces some policies that prevents from downloading. 

[ibarrau · Accepted solution]

Hi. In my opinion it's ok. Not a shame at all. A regular users shouldn't be able to get that easy production data to play with, that would be an issue for security and data silos.

Anyway, coming back to the question, as an alternative you can use the git integration feature. If you syncronize your workspace with a repo, you will have access to the development source in order to open the PowerBi Project at Power Bi Desktop.

I hope that helps,

[Anonymous · Accepted solution]

The point of having a Dev/Test/Prod deployment pipeline, is to help with change management. The developer of a pbix would only every deplay from the Power BI Desktop to the Dev workspace. The movement of the dev pbix file to Tes would enable testers to validate the new development. Once approved, it moves to the Prod environment where no one should be making changes. The deployment would change the connection from a Dev database, to a test database to a Prod database. An end user should never be able to connect a pbix file to a production database. That is why you use a deployment pipeline.

If the end user needs a pbix file, then the developer could send a file to the end user, BUT can that use connect to the data source? If no, then the development data is all they should see.