Forum Discussion
Organizing lineage flow & publishing process
Hello all. Our team has a messy lineage flow in PBI desktop. All of the data gateways "Analysis Services" lead to the same semantic model setup by our IT dept. The semantic models are all the same on any report I open.
The problem likely lies in how our finance team created/publishes new reports. Our current method involves copying an already existing .pbix file from desktop and simply publishing it under a new name, which creates a separate gateway > semantic mode > report flow for each report. It’s my understanding that we could clean up the lineage flow of the workspace by utilizing 1 gateway connection > 1 semantic model > many reports (see 2nd example photo).
I am planning to start fresh with a new workspace and don't want to run into this same mess. What process should we follow for creating & publishing new reports so that it remains organized, sourcing from the same semantic model/source. Please correct any of my terms -- I don't have an IT background and am still learning PBI.
our lineage flowgoal example flow
Hi zenghost22,
This is 100% doable.
Start by making your master semantic model (can be done along side the first report, or made directly in the service)
From there, instead of copying it and publishing a new file each time, in Power BI Desktop use the OneLake connection and connect to existing Power BI semantic Models:
Once that is connected, you are now connected to the existing semantic model. Publishing this report will not create a new one, but will link to the existing one exactly like you are wanting.
If you found this helpful, consider giving some Kudos. If I answered your question or solved your problem, mark this post as the solution.
8 Replies
Hi zenghost22,
This is 100% doable.
Start by making your master semantic model (can be done along side the first report, or made directly in the service)
From there, instead of copying it and publishing a new file each time, in Power BI Desktop use the OneLake connection and connect to existing Power BI semantic Models:
Once that is connected, you are now connected to the existing semantic model. Publishing this report will not create a new one, but will link to the existing one exactly like you are wanting.
If you found this helpful, consider giving some Kudos. If I answered your question or solved your problem, mark this post as the solution.
Hi zenghost22
Or would further recommend is making sure that the semantic model sits in a different workspace to where all the reports are going to be hosted. This will allow you to make sure that the workspace where the semantic model resides you are the only person who has access. You can then create another app workspace where the users have. And Contributor or Member role. Don't forget to also make sure that the semantic model has build permissions enabled for those users who want to create the reports of that semantic model. Build Permission for Shared Semantic Models - Power BI | Microsoft Learn
Thanks for this tip. Now if my master semantic model already exists in the same workspace as my reports, how do I move it to another workspace without breaking any connections?
Hi zenghost22,
You can do the steps I posted in my previous message, and then after you have made a report that connects to your master semantic model, you can publish that in a different workspace.
If you found this helpful, consider giving some Kudos. If I answered your question or solved your problem, mark this post as the solution.
