Forum Discussion
Extracting Report and Data Source Metadata from Power BI
Hi,
I have a request from my manager who wants to know if it's possible to extract from Power BI the information about how many reports we have, what the data sources are (e.g., Snowflake), and, if possible, the schema used (e.g., SAP schema). Can anyone help me with this? Is it possible to do this using notebooks or something similar?
Thanks!
17 Replies
bdpr_95 I would take a look at the Power BI REST API's. You should be able to get all datasets (semantic models) and then get all of the data sources for each dataset:
Datasets - Get Datasources - REST API (Power BI Power BI REST APIs) | Microsoft Learn
Hi Greg, how can I get the eBook version of your book?
Unfortunately, this only gives me the datasource. I was hoping to also get the schema used.
Thanks anyway!
bdpr_95 Yeah, not sure about the schema. Might have to look for a third party tool that would do that although I don't know of one off the top of my head. Here is the ebook link. https://www.amazon.com/DAX-Humans-CALCULATE-Guide-Makes-ebook/dp/B0FGLRYWW8
I'll also provide you with a PDF if you shoot me a proof of purchase on LinkedIn or gdeckler @ gmail.
Hi bdpr_95 ,
You’re on the right path with the Power BI REST APIs, as Greg mentioned. These APIs are useful for getting a list of datasets and their data sources, which can help you identify connections to systems like Snowflake or SAP. However, the APIs don’t provide detailed schema information, such as table or field-level details from the source. To get this level of detail, you’ll need to connect to the dataset using the XMLA endpoint with tools like SSMS, DAX Studio, or Tabular Editor, which allow you to run DMV queries for schema metadata. If you’re working with Microsoft Fabric, you could also use notebooks to automate this process. Some third-party tools like Power BI Helper might offer additional support, though schema-level details may vary.
REST APIs give you an overview, but for detailed schema information, you’ll need to use external tools.
Thank you.But is it possible to build something automated that analyzes all datasets in a workspace or across multiple workspaces? Doing it report by report makes the process very time-consuming.
Hi bdpr_95 ,
Yes, your follow up question is absolutely valid.
Doing this analysis report by report can definitely become very time consuming.
While the Power BI REST APIs are helpful for getting a list of datasets and their data sources, they don’t provide deep schema level information like table or field names.
To build something fully automated that analyzes all datasets across one or more workspaces with detailed schema, you'll need to go beyond REST APIs. You can use tools like SSMS, DAX Studio, or Tabular Editor via the XMLA endpoint to run DMV queries and extract that metadata. If you're working in Microsoft Fabric, you could also automate this through notebooks.
So yes, automation is possible, but for full schema level analysis, it will involve a mix of REST APIs and external tools.
Thank you,
Tejaswi.
