What's the impact of enabling read/write xmla endpoint

[Jteo05]

We are currently exploring on setting up incremental data refresh for some of the Power BI semantic model datasets. To support incremental refresh came across Microsoft documentation which stated to enable the "Read Write" option under XMLA endpoint in Power BI Admin Portal. Currently it is set to the default option as "Read Only".

Currently our Power BI capacity is under P1 SKU with 64 capacity units. We seek your expert guidance on below:

1. If Read Write option is enabled, does it affect any of our existing semantic models and dashboards features?

2. Does enabling read write affects any performance on the Power BI capacity level?

Thanks a lot!

[Shravan133 · Accepted solution]

Hi,

As far as i know and according to my experience:

Impact on Existing Semantic Models and Dashboard Features

• No Direct Impact on Existing Models and Dashboards: Enabling "Read Write" access allows you to manage and update your datasets via XMLA, but it does not inherently change the behavior of your existing semantic models or dashboards. Existing reports and dashboards should continue to work as expected.

• Additional Capabilities: The primary change is that you gain the ability to use XMLA endpoints for tasks such as dataset management, advanced data refresh scenarios, and schema changes. This can be particularly useful for setting up incremental refresh and automating data management tasks.

2. Impact on Performance of Power BI Capacity

• Capacity Performance: Enabling "Read Write" access does not directly impact the performance of your Power BI capacity. Performance impacts would generally stem from how you use the XMLA endpoints, such as the complexity of the data refresh processes or the frequency of schema updates.

• Incremental Refresh Benefits: Incremental refresh can actually improve performance by reducing the amount of data processed during refreshes, which can lead to more efficient use of capacity resources. However, the efficiency gains depend on how well the incremental refresh is configured.