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edwardrmiles
Helper III
Helper III

Protecting a content pack's data models / DAX from clients

Is it possible to publish a content pack that restricts the user from accessing the underlying data model and DAX?

 

I'm working on a project for a consultant who uses an Excel workbook as a desktop BI solution for their clients.  They are interested in using Power BI (as both a datasource and visualisation layer for that workbook) but want don't their clients to be able to access the underlying logic / intellectual property

 

They currently protect the Excel workbook using VBA that hides formulas and sheets.  Is there an equivalent way of protecting Power BI content packs? 

 

PS using SSAS Tabular would achieve the desired effect but alas that is not an option here

PPS if 100% secure isn't possible I'd be interested in 'sort of' secure options too

 

 

 

 

 

4 REPLIES 4
mcharing
Frequent Visitor

Hi Edwardrmiles,

 

Do you already have solution? I also want to protect the data model in Power BI. Do all users of the data model need to have office 365 and a power BI to grant and control acces control?

 

Hope to hear more by anyone who can help!

 

 

With kind regards,

Mark Haring
Process and data consultant @ BisQQ
mcharing@bisqq.nl
www.bisqq.nl

Hi @mcharing

 

Sorry for the slow reply.  I'm not sure if my problem is identical to yours but I didn't reach a conclusion so I decided to use the Power BI components in Excel instead.  Not as good by my client didn't want their clients to see any DAX / M and I could use VBA in Excel to do that.  I think publish to web might also work but that makes the content public which wouldn't work for me

 

As to your point about Office 365 & Power BI.  Users will need at least a Power BI free account to recieve your report.  They don't need an Office 365 account unless you want to use the functionality of Office 365 Groups - then they would need an Office 365 account as well as a Power BI pro license

It seems to me that the Power Bi team could offer something as simple as a password option to open the underlying datasource under the "Edit Queries"  to help provide some IP protection

I spent some time looking at existing idea's and found this one:

 

https://ideas.powerbi.com/forums/265200-power-bi-ideas/suggestions/32942779-password

 

It would be great if you could upvote it and maybe we can get it into the product. 

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