Forum Discussion
Refresh schedules and subscriptions
Hey Community!
I'm seeking advice for setting up refresh schedules on semantic models and subscriptions to the owner is a service account of service principle. For example, in on-premises land, I'm familiar with setting up SQL server agent jobs using a service account. One benefit with that best practice is if the user who created the job leaves it does not break when the user leaves the organization.
1. Is it possible to set up a semantic model refresh be owned by a service account or service principle? If yes, please point me to documentation that walks me through a set up.
2. Is it possible to set up Power BI subscriptions owned by workspace admins to be owned by a service principle or service account? If yes, please point me to documentation that walks me through a set up.
If none of these are possible how do other organizations handle these scenarios?
Best,
Miquel
Hi MiquelPBI,
Thank you for engaging with the Microsoft Fabric Community. In additon to Greg_Deckler response.
1. For semantic model refreshes, publishing the model while signed in as a service account or service principal ensures that this identity becomes the dataset owner. This approach is considered a best practice, as it prevents refresh failures due to ownership issues when personal accounts are deactivated or users leave the organization.
The blog Greg_Deckler , referenced provides a helpful walkthrough on assigning ownership using a service principal particularly useful if you're working with DevOps pipelines or automated deployments.
2. Regarding Power BI subscriptions. These currently must be created by licensed user accounts. Service principals can't create, manage, or receive subscriptions directly.
A common workaround is to use a shared, licensed service user account to own and manage subscriptions.
Let me know if you have any questions, and stay connected with the community for future discussions.
Thank you for your quick response, Greg_Deckler. It was very helpful to the community.
Regards,
Yugandhar.
5 Replies
MiquelPBI For #1, yes, I would check this out: Configure scheduled refresh - Power BI | Microsoft Learn
Not positive about #2
Thanks for the quick reply Greg_Deckler. I realized I may be using incorrect terminology. I updated my post to better reflect what I'm trying to accomplish. I want the owner to be a service account or service principle.
MiquelPBI Just publish the report/model while logged into the Desktop as the service account. You can also check this out:
how to set a service principal as the owner of a power bi semantic model (former dataset).
Hi MiquelPBI,
Thank you for engaging with the Microsoft Fabric Community. In additon to Greg_Deckler response.
1. For semantic model refreshes, publishing the model while signed in as a service account or service principal ensures that this identity becomes the dataset owner. This approach is considered a best practice, as it prevents refresh failures due to ownership issues when personal accounts are deactivated or users leave the organization.
The blog Greg_Deckler , referenced provides a helpful walkthrough on assigning ownership using a service principal particularly useful if you're working with DevOps pipelines or automated deployments.
2. Regarding Power BI subscriptions. These currently must be created by licensed user accounts. Service principals can't create, manage, or receive subscriptions directly.
A common workaround is to use a shared, licensed service user account to own and manage subscriptions.
Let me know if you have any questions, and stay connected with the community for future discussions.
Thank you for your quick response, Greg_Deckler. It was very helpful to the community.
Regards,
Yugandhar.
Hi MiquelPBI ,
Could you let us know whether your issue has been resolved or if you're still experiencing any problems? Your feedback is important and could help others with similar concerns.
Thank You.
