there has to be an easier way to migrate an ssas connection in the service

[db042190]

hi i just found out today that there is yet another workspace i need to deal with in which the semantic model for multiple reports needs to change connections from our old server to our new.  When we did our migration, my peer created a new connection and one by one on just a few reports we downloaded either the report or semantic model, using the transform button in the desktop we changed sources and then re published.    From what i've seen so far these connections arent live, they are refreshed each day.  This latest workspace has a lot of reports.  I'm reluctant to do this the old way till i can find something smarter.  At this point i dont see an option for reconfiguring a connection's server or plumbing the semantic model while in the service to another connection.  the one path that seemed most promising is shown below after i click the ellipsis on the smantic model in question, choose settings, take over, choose maps to gateway...   But this path seems to lead to only one choice which is adding a new connection.  And i already have a connection to the new server which i'd like to use instead.  Is there a smarter way to do all this?  i have admin in the ws, i took control away from another admin who is a peer of mine.  

what i'm doing right now goes like this...1) i check if the semantic model's lineage is as i expected plumbed to an old connection, 2) open the report in the service which i know will error,  3) when all is clear i drop down file and pick download, 4) i open the pbix and as the desktop is opening am given a chance to override the server name, 5) i publish picking the workspace i'm working in, 6) eventually i take ownership of the semantic model away from previous admin, 7) schedule refresh on new model and check if report renders.

in some cases i check my download list first because i think if you are working on a report that you've downloaded before from another ws, you get versioned (eg (1) ) model and report names.  I'm also assuming from another post of mine that if a report named "A" exists in 2 different work spaces, even if they are different, its safe to download and publish from and to same ws without affecting the other ws's version of that report.  

[v-heq-msft]

Hi @db042190 ,
Based on your description, if the report is already connected to a dataset in Power BI Services, consider using the dataset settings to change the data source connection. This can be done by navigating to Dataset Settings in Power BI Services, selecting the Data Source Credentials option, and then updating the connection details to point to the new server. This method allows you to update the connection to the dataset and therefore all reports connected to that dataset.
Of course you can also consider using the Power BI REST API to programmatically update the data source connections for a dataset. This can be especially useful if you have a large number of datasets to update.
Datasets - REST API (Power BI Power BI REST APIs) | Microsoft Learn
Add or remove a gateway data source - Power BI | Microsoft Learn

Best regards,

Albert He

If this post helps, then please consider Accept it as the solution to help the other members find it more quickly

[db042190]

thx ibendlin, i'll look that up.  Is that doable even with just a pro license?

[lbendlin]

it's a  workspace thing so you have to assume that a Pro license is required.

[lbendlin]

What you should have done from the beginning (yeah, hindsight is 20/20) is to parameterize your connections. That way you would have been able to switch your data source in the Power BI Service, potentially even without touching the PBIX at all.