I asked a similar question when looking at installing PBIRS. The answer was that PBIRS has to be installed on the same server (physical or virtual) that is running SQL Server EE. Here's the official response:
- This sparked some internal digging to find the definitive answer – which unfortunately is “no”
- PBIRS (licensed under your existing SQL EE with SA) is the same as the other components in the SQL Server stack (SQL, SSRS, SSAS, etc) – they are indivisible from a licensing perspective.
- You can install PBIRS on your existing SQL host at zero extra cost.
- But if you want to install it on a separate/dedicated server you’ll need to (SQL Server) license that host separately – just like if you wanted to install Analysis Services or traditional SSRS on a dedicated server.
Here's the clause from the licensing terms which confirms this:
4.6 Use of Power BI Report Server – SQL Server Enterprise Edition
Customer may run Power BI Report Server software on the Licensed Server. Customer may run the software on a maximum numbers of cores equal to the number of SQL Server Enterprise Edition Core Licenses with active SA assigned to that Server, subject to a minimum of four cores per OSE. Use is additionally subject to the applicable terms of Customer’s volume license agreement. A Power BI Pro User SL is required to publish shared Power BI reports using the Power BI Report Server. This right expires upon expiration of Customer’s SA coverage.
