Can no longer create measures when connected to Data Set on PBI Service since March/Apri 2021 Update

[PHalkon007]

Hello Power BI Community,

Our company creates Power BI dashboards using a Analysis Services Cube with a live connection.

We can not create calculated columns but found that we could create measures when we connect to a Dataset already uploaded to the Power BI service. This ability was a saving grace.

Using the method described here:

https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/power-bi/connect-data/desktop-report-lifecycle-datasets

and then pointing new files to the connection details of the originally uploaded dataset described here:

https://ruiromanoblog-wordpress-com.cdn.ampproject.org/c/s/ruiromanoblog.wordpress.com/2020/08/14/co...

We were able to create measures and wonderful reports at a much more agile pace than creating measures in the backend cube. Additionally, it meant that highly specialised and specific measures wouldn't appear for everyone in the cube which could cause confusion around the company when it was accessed via Microsoft Excel for instance (they would live in the associated PBIX file).

Since the March or April 2021 update, those users who have already updated can no longer create measures in Power BI Desktop. They see measures that were created in PBIX files that were already created but no longer create new ones.

Could anyone help us understand why this has occured? Was it intentional from Microsoft to stop this? Is there any way to restore this functionality in the new versions?

Any assistance would be much appreciated.

[PHalkon007 · Accepted solution]

Finally found a group of people who are suffering from the same thing and it seems like it was intentional from Microsoft (and very unwelcome from the end users). There is an idea here to vote on restoring this functionality here:
https://ideas.powerbi.com/ideas/idea/?ideaid=0ee95af7-ec10-464a-8146-114f91e653c9

Please vote!

[v-yiruan-msft]

Hi @PHalkon007 ,

What's the version of your Power BI Desktop? Did you get any error message when try to create measure in Power BI Desktop? Or the option "New measure" or "Quick measure" in Modeling ribbon is grey out?

In addition, please check whether it hit the following limitation in this official documentation:

• You can't create report level measures when authoring a report that is connected live to an SSAS multidimensional model. The only measures that are available are measures defined in the MD model.

Best Regards

[PHalkon007]

Thanks @v-yiruan-msft . We are connected to SSAS multidimensional model but for years, we have had a work around by uploading a blank report connected to the SSAS cube and then using that report's dataset, we connect to the dataset instead and then we can create measures no problem. This was fantastic as custom measures could be black boxed to specific dashboards.

Since the latest update, using this method, we can no longer create measures.
It would seem there is no good reason for this to be blocked since it has worked for years and produces accurate and expedient results.

I was hoping there were more people using it this way as it is so useful.