Overview

With the December 2019 version of Microsoft’s Power BI, data models prepared in Power BI Desktop and published to Power BI service can now be consumed by Tableau. This document explains how users can connect to the Power BI shared dataset in the Power BI service using Tableau.


Using Power BI Datasets in Tableau

To connect to a Power BI shared dataset from Tableau Desktop, use the Microsoft Analysis Services server connector.



Note: Microsoft Analysis Services connector is not available for Tableau Public.


Note: IT Analytics supports only Microsoft Power BI and Microsoft Excel as reporting and visualization tools when accessing Power BI shared datasets. IT Analytics cannot be held responsible for functionality or capability limitations of Tableau that come with using Power BI datasets in Tableau. Use of Tableau with Power BI shared datasets for data analysis and reporting is at the sole discretion of its users.


Note: Use Power BI datasets in Tableau for Internal/Departmental use only - Not for sharing the datasets, reports or dashboards across other departments at USF. USF does not have an Enterprise Tableau license and it is the department's responsibility to fund the required licenses. Please use Microsoft Power BI (Enterprise licensed tool) for sharing across other departments at USF.

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Using the Microsoft Analysis Services server connector in Tableau

To connect using the Microsoft Analysis Services server connector follow the steps below:

  1. The server link needs to be requested from the Analytics team. Please put in a ticket (through email or a Jira Service Desk ticket) to request the server link and add service team as Analytics

  2. From the connect tab, select more in the ‘To A Server’ and click on the ‘Microsoft Analysis Services’ option

  3. Paste the server link provided by Analytics team in the server name

  4. Choose the “use specific username and password option

    1. for username - type in your @usf.edu email address

    2. for password - type in a space (press the space bar to create a space)

    3. click sign in

Note: After entering space as the password in the connector sign in screen, you will be prompted to sign in again using the USF single sign-on screen.

5. Sign in using the USF single sign-on screen and Multifactor Authentication (MFA)


6. Select the Database and the Cube (Model)


7. Click on the ‘Go to Worksheet' to go the reporting canvas where Dimensions and Measures of the model can be used to create required reports


For limitations to connecting Power BI dataset with Tableau, please refer to the following blog post:
Connect Tableau to Power BI Datasets - Visual BI Solutions


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Other References

How to Use Power BI Datasets in Tableau | Senturus

Microsoft Analysis Services


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