Managing access in Power BI Report Server is essential to ensure that reports and data are securely shared with the right users. Role-based security, folder-level permissions, and data source access controls help administrators manage who can view, edit, or publish reports. Proper access management protects sensitive data while allowing authorized users to interact with reports efficiently.
Managing Access in Power BI Report Server
Power BI Report Server provides a role-based security model that allows administrators to control user access at server, folder, and report levels. This ensures that only authorized users can access or modify reports.
Key Security Features in Power BI Report Server
Power BI Report Server includes several access management features:
- Windows Authentication: Uses Active Directory (AD) to authenticate users.
- Role-Based Access Control (RBAC): Assigns predefined roles to manage access.
- Item-Level Security: Restricts access to specific reports and folders.
- Data Source Security: Controls how users connect to databases.
- Row-Level Security (RLS): Restricts data visibility based on user roles.
- Audit Logs: Tracks user activity for security monitoring.
Implementing these security measures helps ensure compliance, data privacy, and efficient report distribution.
1. Configuring Authentication in Power BI Report Server
Power BI Report Server supports Windows Authentication, which integrates with Active Directory (AD) to verify user credentials.
Steps to configure authentication:
- Open Report Server Configuration Manager.
- Navigate to the Web Service URL and Web Portal URL tabs.
- Ensure that the authentication method is set to Windows Authentication.
- Verify that the correct Active Directory users and groups are assigned access.
- Test login access to confirm authentication settings.
Using Active Directory ensures secure, centralized user authentication.
2. Implementing Role-Based Access Control (RBAC)
Power BI Report Server includes built-in security roles that control user access at different levels.
Built-in Roles:
- System Administrator: Manages server-wide settings and security.
- System User: Views system properties but cannot modify settings.
- Content Manager: Manages reports, folders, and security settings.
- Publisher: Uploads and publishes reports but cannot manage security.
- Browser: Views reports but cannot modify them.
- Report Builder: Creates and edits reports in Report Builder.
Assigning Roles:
To assign roles in Power BI Report Server:
- Open the Web Portal.
- Go to Settings > Site Settings > Security.
- Click New Role Assignment.
- Select a user or group and assign the appropriate role.
- Click Apply to save changes.
Using role-based security ensures that users have only the permissions they need.
3. Configuring Item-Level Security (Folder & Report Permissions)
Item-level security allows administrators to control access to specific folders and reports.
Steps to Set Folder-Level or Report-Level Security:
- Go to the Web Portal.
- Navigate to the folder or report where you want to set permissions.
- Click Manage > Security.
- Click Customize Security (to override inherited permissions).
- Add users or groups and assign appropriate roles (Browser, Publisher, etc.).
- Click Apply to save changes.
This ensures that sensitive reports are accessible only to authorized users.
4. Securing Data Sources
Data source security ensures that users only access authorized databases when running reports.
Best Practices for Data Source Security:
- Use Windows Authentication instead of embedding credentials.
- Restrict database access at the SQL Server level.
- Use service accounts for report execution.
- Enable firewall rules to limit database access.
- Encrypt sensitive data connections using SSL/TLS.
Proper data source security prevents unauthorized database access.
5. Implementing Row-Level Security (RLS)
Row-Level Security (RLS) restricts data visibility based on user roles.
Steps to Implement RLS:
- Define Security Roles in SQL Server.
- Use DAX Filters (for Tabular Models) to restrict data access.
- Apply USERPRINCIPALNAME() in Power BI to enforce dynamic filtering.
- Test access by logging in as different users.
RLS ensures that users only see the data they are authorized to view.
6. Monitoring User Activity with Audit Logs
Power BI Report Server provides logging and auditing features to track user activity.
Monitoring User Access:
- Use Report Server Execution Logs to track report views and usage.
- Enable Windows Event Logs for security monitoring.
- Review SQL Server Agent Logs for scheduled report execution failures.
Auditing helps detect unauthorized access and security risks.
7. Managing Scheduled Reports and Subscriptions
Report scheduling allows automatic report delivery to users.
Best Practices:
- Restrict scheduled report access to trusted users only.
- Encrypt report email subscriptions to prevent unauthorized access.
- Monitor scheduled job execution logs for failed reports.
Managing scheduled reports ensures efficient resource usage and secure report delivery.
Comparison: Power BI Report Server vs. Power BI Service Security
| Security Feature | Power BI Report Server (On-Premise) | Power BI Service (Cloud) |
|---|---|---|
| Authentication | Windows Authentication (Active Directory) | Azure Active Directory (AAD) |
| Role-Based Security | Local AD Groups & Server Roles | Cloud-based Role Assignments |
| Item-Level Security | Report & Folder-Level Permissions | Row-Level Security (RLS) |
| Data Encryption | Uses on-premise SSL/TLS | Managed by Microsoft |
| Data Source Security | SQL Server & Windows Authentication | Cloud-based Dataset Access Policies |
Organizations using Power BI Report Server must manually configure local security policies, while Power BI Service provides Microsoft-managed security features.
Conclusion
Managing access in Power BI Report Server is critical for securing reports, data sources, and user permissions. By implementing role-based security, item-level permissions, row-level security, and monitoring logs, organizations can protect sensitive data while ensuring authorized access. Proper security management enhances compliance, prevents unauthorized access, and improves report server performance.
