Forum Discussion
Issue with Sharing Linked Dataflows in Power BI
Hi Hazzzy
Welcome to the Microsoft Fabric Community.
The issue occurs because linked dataflows in Power BI depend on the permissions of the original dataflow. If users in the new workspace don't have access to the original workspace, they cannot access the linked dataflow.
Grant Viewer Access to the Original Workspace:- Provide the users with Viewer permissions in the original workspace containing the source dataflow. This will enable them to access the linked dataflow through the new workspace.
Create a Separate Dataflow:
- Instead of using a linked dataflow, create a new dataflow in the new workspace by importing data directly from the SharePoint folder or exporting and importing the original dataflow definition.
Use Shared Datasets:
- Publish a shared dataset from the original dataflow. Share the dataset in the new workspace without linking the dataflow. This ensures that users can access the processed data without requiring access to the original workspace.
Service Principal and Security Groups:
- Use a service principal with permissions to access the source dataflow and configure it in the linked dataflow. Ensure the service principal handles dataflow dependencies securely.
-
Direct Data Export:
- Export the data from the source dataflow to a new storage location (e.g., Azure Blob Storage, another SharePoint folder) and create a new dataflow in the new workspace to source data from there.
If the above information helps you, please give us a Kudos and marked the reply as a solution.
Thanks,
Cheri Srikanth
Hi Hazzzy
Welcome to the Microsoft Fabric Community.
The issue occurs because linked dataflows in Power BI depend on the permissions of the original dataflow. If users in the new workspace don't have access to the original workspace, they cannot access the linked dataflow.
Grant Viewer Access to the Original Workspace:
- Provide the users with Viewer permissions in the original workspace containing the source dataflow. This will enable them to access the linked dataflow through the new workspace.
Create a Separate Dataflow:
- Instead of using a linked dataflow, create a new dataflow in the new workspace by importing data directly from the SharePoint folder or exporting and importing the original dataflow definition.
Use Shared Datasets:
- Publish a shared dataset from the original dataflow. Share the dataset in the new workspace without linking the dataflow. This ensures that users can access the processed data without requiring access to the original workspace.
Service Principal and Security Groups:
- Use a service principal with permissions to access the source dataflow and configure it in the linked dataflow. Ensure the service principal handles dataflow dependencies securely.
-
Direct Data Export:
- Export the data from the source dataflow to a new storage location (e.g., Azure Blob Storage, another SharePoint folder) and create a new dataflow in the new workspace to source data from there.
If the above information helps you, please give us a Kudos and marked the reply as a solution.
Thanks,
Cheri Srikanth
Thank you, Cheri, for suggesting multiple workarounds. Using shared datasets is a good idea, and I'll proceed with that. I have a question: When a dataset or semantic model is imported into Excel, does it retain the row-level security configured in Power BI?
I'd also like to learn more about using service principals and security groups for this purpose. Could you recommend some efficient resources for learning about this topic without requiring a significant time investment?
Finally, regarding direct data export, is it possible to save an Excel file to SharePoint that automatically refreshes a query without manual intervention?
Hi Hazzzy
Sorry for the late reply.
1) If the dataset is imported (instead of being connected live), the RLS will not be applied because the data is static in Excel. For reference: https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/fabric/security/service-admin-row-level-security
2) To efficiently learn about service principals and security groups, you can explore the following resources:
https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/power-bi/developer/embedded/embed-service-principal?tabs=azure-portal
https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/entra/fundamentals/how-to-manage-groups
3) You can achieve automatic refresh of Excel data stored in SharePoint using the below link.
https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/office/refreshing-data-in-a-workbook-in-sharepoint-server-89560193-0c11-420b-b7d8-744766ccdc94If the above information helps you, please give us a Kudos and marked the reply Accept as a Solution.
Thanks and Regards,
Cheri Srikanth
