How to Seamlessly Assign Power BI Viewer Role Automatically After Purview Approval
You can set up Power BI Viewer Role to be given out automatically after Purview approval. This makes things faster and helps you make fewer mistakes when you have lots of access requests. Right now, you might say yes to a request in Purview, but then you have to add people as viewers in Power BI by yourself. Doing this by hand takes a lot of work and can make your team slower. If you use automation, you do not need to do these steps and you can spend time on bigger jobs.
Key Takeaways
Make Power BI Viewer Role assignment automatic after Purview approval. This helps save time and stops mistakes.
Use tools like Power Automate, Azure AD Entitlement Management, and service principals to make your workflow.
Follow easy steps: connect Purview and Power BI, make flows, give out roles, set security rules, and turn on audit logging.
Protect your data by using groups for access. Turn on multifactor authentication. Add sensitivity labels.
Test your automation a lot and fix problems fast. This helps everyone get safe and easy access.
Manual Process Challenges
Access Request Workflow
When you manage access to Power BI reports, you often follow a set process. First, a user asks for access through Azure Purview. You review the request and decide if the user should get access. If you approve, you still need to go into Power BI and add the user as a Viewer to the right workspace or app. This step is not automatic. You must find the correct workspace, search for the user, and assign the Viewer role. If you have many requests each day, this process can take a lot of your time.
Tip: Keeping a checklist of steps can help you avoid missing any part of the process, but it does not solve the problem of repetitive work.
Bottlenecks and Risks
Manual steps in your workflow can slow down your team and create risks. Here are some common challenges you might face:
You spend extra time on each request, which adds up quickly in large organizations.
Mistakes can happen if you forget to add someone or assign the wrong role.
Users may wait longer for access, which can delay their work.
Tracking who has access becomes harder as the number of requests grows.
Automated solutions, such as Dynamic Row-Level Security (DRLS), help you scale your process. DRLS lets you control access based on user information, so you do not need to set up each role by hand. This approach saves time and makes your system more flexible. You can also improve performance by setting up relationships in your data model, which supports faster and more accurate access control.
Note: Automation not only reduces your workload but also helps you keep your data secure and your users happy.
Automation Options
Power Automate Connector
The Power Automate connector helps you assign the Power BI Viewer Role after Purview approval. This connector is not fully released yet, but it will be soon. Power Automate lets you make flows that start when Purview approves someone. These flows can add users to Azure AD groups or Power BI workspaces without you doing it yourself. You need special permissions in Azure AD, like Group.ReadWrite.All and User.ReadWrite.All. You also have to give Power BI licenses to groups in the Azure AD Admin Center. If you want more choices, you can use Microsoft Graph API actions in Power Automate to give licenses right away.
Tip: Dynamic groups can give out licenses based on user details, so you do not have to add people one by one.
Azure AD Entitlement Management
Azure AD Entitlement Management helps you handle access packages and automate role assignments. You must set up an app in Azure AD, upload a certificate, and give Microsoft Graph API permissions. A Privileged Role Administrator has to approve these permissions. You also need an Azure AD Premium P2 license and must join Privileged Identity Management for role control. After you finish setup, you can make PowerShell runbooks in Azure Automation to use Entitlement Management APIs. This lets you add users to groups or give roles after Purview approval without doing it by hand.
Prerequisites for Azure AD Entitlement Management:
Register an app in Azure AD.
Upload a certificate to prove who you are.
Give Microsoft Graph API permissions.
Get admin consent for these permissions.
Save credentials in Azure Automation variables.
Make and test PowerShell runbooks.
Change runbooks to use Entitlement Management APIs.
Make sure you have an Azure AD Premium P2 license and join PIM.
Service Principals and APIs
Service principals let apps act for you. You can use them with Power BI and Purview APIs to assign the Power BI Viewer Role. First, register an app in Azure AD and give it the Purview Data Reader role. Add the service principal to a security group that works with Power BI admin APIs. Give delegated permissions for Microsoft Graph and Power BI APIs, and get admin consent. Service principals use app-based sign-in, so you do not have to worry about user account changes. You must keep credentials safe and only let certain security groups use them to lower risks.
Service principals cannot log in to the Power BI portal, but they can use APIs to manage workspace roles.
Some Power BI features do not work with service principals, so plan your automation well.
Always keep service principal credentials safe to stop others from getting in.
Note: More automation features are coming soon, like official APIs and better workflow tools. You can use unofficial Python wrappers for APIs now, but they might not work for everything yet.
Automating Power BI Viewer Role Assignment
Workflow Setup
You can make a workflow that gives the Power BI Viewer Role after Purview approval. First, check you have admin access in Azure AD and Power BI. You need to link Purview and Power BI so they can share info. Microsoft has guides to help you connect Power BI tenants in Purview. These guides show you how to set up for one tenant or more. Follow these steps to make sure everything works:
Register Power BI and Purview in Azure AD.
Use Azure AD or M365 groups for role-based access controls.
Turn on audit logging to watch all data access.
Set up sensitivity labels and data loss prevention policies in Purview to keep your data safe.
Make sure Power BI connects to Fabric’s lakehouse and warehouses for real-time data.
After you finish these steps, you can use Power Automate to build your workflow. Power Automate lets you make flows that start when you approve a request in Purview. The flow can add the user to the Power BI workspace and give them the Viewer Role.
Tip: Always look at Microsoft’s official documentation for help and updates. This helps you keep your workflow working well.
Role Assignment Steps
Here are steps to automate the Power BI Viewer Role assignment:
Create a Power Automate Flow
Open Power Automate and start a new flow.
Set it to begin when you approve a request in Purview.
Connect Purview and Power BI
Add an action to get the user’s info from Purview.
Use the Power BI connector to find the right workspace or app.
Assign the Viewer Role
Add the user to the workspace with the Power BI connector.
Set their role to Viewer.
Azure AD groups can help you manage access for many users.
Apply Security and Governance Policies
Make sure Purview sensitivity labels and DLP policies protect your data.
Use role-based access controls to limit who sees sensitive reports.
Enable Audit Logging
Turn on audit logging in Power BI and Purview.
This helps you track who gets access and when.
Here is a simple table that shows the main steps:
Note: You can use APIs to connect data outputs with other systems. This makes your automation even better.
Testing and Validation
You need to test your workflow to make sure it works every time. Start by approving a test request in Purview. Watch the flow in Power Automate and check if the user gets the Power BI Viewer Role. You should also check if security policies and audit logs work as they should.
Approve a test request in Purview.
Make sure the user shows up as Viewer in the Power BI workspace.
Check that sensitivity labels and DLP policies protect the data.
Look at audit logs to see if the access was tracked.
If you find problems, use Microsoft’s troubleshooting guides. These guides help you fix issues between Purview and Power BI. You should also test with different users and workspaces to make sure your automation works for everyone.
Tip: Test your workflow often, especially after updates to Purview or Power BI. This helps you find problems early and keep your data safe.
Best Practices and Troubleshooting
Security and Compliance
You must keep your data safe and follow rules. Start by giving users only the access they need. Use Microsoft Entra groups for roles, not single users. This makes things easier and keeps your system safe.
Turn on multifactor authentication (MFA) for special roles.
Make rules to control who can use Purview and Power BI.
Add sensitivity labels to Power BI content. You can use default labels or make labeling required so every report has a tag.
Use both default and required labels for better safety.
Make sure everyone has the right licenses, like Power BI Pro or Premium Per User, and Purview Information Protection.
Give users easy guides about labeling and rules.
Lock important resources in Azure so no one deletes them by mistake.
Plan a break glass strategy so you never get locked out.
Use Azure AD Entitlement Management to handle access packages and automate role assignments.
Automate security jobs with Azure CLI or PowerShell to stop mistakes.
Tip: Check who has access often and change permissions when your team changes.
You also need to follow rules like GDPR, HIPAA, FERPA, PCI-DSS, and others for your work. Always check access permissions and do not give too many rights to one person. Use Row-Level Security (RLS) so users only see the data they should.
Common Issues
You may have problems when you automate role assignments. Here are steps to help you fix them:
Make sure each user has the Viewer Role. Use "View As" in Power BI to see what users see.
If you get errors about missing roles, give the Environment Maker security role.
Make sure your service principal has admin access to the Power BI workspace.
Add the service principal to the workspace if you get access errors.
Give premium capacity licenses if you see errors about capacity.
Turn on "Allow XMLA endpoints and Analyze in Excel" in the Power BI admin portal.
After you fix problems, check the report again to see if it works.
Test with different users and roles. Ask others to help test and share feedback.
Write down your testing steps and fixes for later.
Look at roles often and change them when your organization changes.
If you see errors with locked files or group chats, use retry loops or error messages to keep your workflow working well. Manage contacts with Teams tags and SharePoint lists to help your team talk better.
If you follow these steps, your automation will work well and your data will stay safe.
Making the Power BI Viewer Role automatic after Purview approval saves you time. It also helps you make fewer mistakes. You can take care of more requests without working harder. Right now, you must give this role by hand. Microsoft does not have an official feature for this yet. Watch for new updates from Microsoft. Use any tools you can find and think about other ways to make your work easier.
FAQ
How do you start automating Power BI Viewer Role assignment after Purview approval?
First, set up a Power Automate flow. Connect Purview and Power BI together. Make sure you have admin access before you start. Use Microsoft’s guides to help you link the services.
What permissions do you need for automation?
You must have admin rights in Azure AD and Power BI. Give Group.ReadWrite.All and User.ReadWrite.All permissions. Users also need Power BI licenses in Azure AD.
Can you use Power Automate with other tools?
Yes, Power Automate works with Microsoft Graph API. It also connects with Azure AD Entitlement Management and service principals. These tools help you manage access and automate more jobs.
What should you do if a user does not get the Viewer Role?
Check your Power Automate flow for mistakes. Make sure the user is in the right workspace. Look at audit logs to find problems. Fix any errors and test the flow again.
How do you keep your automation secure?
Use Microsoft Entra groups to control access. Turn on multifactor authentication for more safety. Add sensitivity labels and use audit logging. Check permissions often to keep your data safe.