## Capabilities & limitations

URL: https://docs.atlan.com/apps/connectors/business-intelligence/microsoft-power-bi/faq/power-bi-dataflow-datasource

> Frequently asked questions about Power BI data sources, dataflows, connector limitations, and asset previews.

Atlan catalogs Power BI data sources, dataflows, and datasets; this FAQ covers connector capabilities and limitations.

This FAQ addresses common questions about Power BI data sources, dataflows, connector limitations, and asset preview functionality.

#### What is the difference between a Power BI data source and dataflow?

In Microsoft Power BI:

- Data source - a data source is any source that fuels a dataset. You can connect to different types of data sources, such as databases, files, Microsoft Fabric, and more, to fetch data directly into Microsoft Power BI for creating reports and dashboards. For a full list, refer to [Microsoft Power BI documentation](https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/power-bi/connect-data/desktop-data-sources).
- Dataflows - data flows help you encode the process of extracting and transforming data from a data source to produce a dataset. These have a refresh frequency that keeps the dataset in sync with the data source. To learn more, refer to [Microsoft Power BI documentation](https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/power-bi/transform-model/dataflows/dataflows-introduction-self-service).

#### What are the known limitations of the Microsoft Power BI connector?

Atlan currently doesn't support the following:
- Filtering hidden pages in [reports](https://docs.atlan.com/llms/connectors/microsoft-power-bi/what-does-atlan-crawl-from-microsoft-power-bi/llms.txt) - known limitation of [PowerBI reports API](https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/rest/api/power-bi/reports/get-pages)
- Crawling reports developed and published in [Power BI Report Server](https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/power-bi/report-server/get-started)

#### How does the scanner API toggle affect catalog coverage and lineage?

The Microsoft Power BI connector can run in two modes based on the scanner API toggle.

- **Scanner APIs only (toggle on):** Uses only Power BI Scanner APIs. This simplifies setup but limits catalog coverage and lineage.
- **Scanner + non-scanner APIs (toggle off):** Uses both API sets for broader coverage and more complete lineage.

| Asset or lineage capability | Scanner APIs only | Scanner + non-scanner APIs |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Catalog **Workspaces** | ✅ Available | ✅ Available |
| Catalog **Datasets** | ✅ Available | ✅ Available |
| Catalog **Tables** | ✅ Available | ✅ Available |
| Catalog **Columns** | ✅ Available | ✅ Available |
| Catalog **Measures** | ✅ Available | ✅ Available |
| Catalog **Dataflows** | ✅ Available | ✅ Available |
| Catalog **Reports** | ✅ Available | ✅ Available |
| Catalog **Dashboards** | ✅ Available | ✅ Available |
| Catalog **Tiles** | ✅ Available | ✅ Available |
| Catalog **Pages** | ❌ Not available | ✅ Available |
| End-to-end lineage (SQL → BI and BI → BI) | ✅ Available | ✅ Available |
| Downstream lineage from **Table column** or **Measure** to **Page** | ❌ Not available | ✅ Available |

:::info Deprecated apps
The **PowerBI Columns → Dataset lineage** and **PowerBI Columns/Measures → Pages lineage** apps are deprecated. The lineage paths they provided are now natively available through the base connector when the scanner API toggle is off. No migration is required—make sure your Power BI connection is configured with **Scanner + non-scanner APIs (toggle off)**.
:::

#### Can users who don't have access to a report still see the preview?

Users can only see asset previews if the following conditions are met:

- They have the necessary permissions in both Microsoft Power BI and Atlan.
- They're logged into Atlan and Microsoft Power BI on the same browser.

Therefore, if a user lacks the permission to view a report in Microsoft Power BI, they won't be able to see the report preview in Atlan. Even if they do have the necessary permissions, they need to be logged into Microsoft Power BI on the same browser as their Atlan instance for asset previews to work.

#### Why can I not see previews for my Microsoft Power BI assets?

Your Microsoft Power BI assets are updated with previews during the next run of your Microsoft Power BI workflow. If you have run the workflow and still don't see the previews, rerun the workflow. Once you've rerun the workflow, the previews are visible to all eligible users.

#### How does Atlan calculate views for Microsoft Power BI reports and dashboards?

Atlan calculates [_Usage_](https://docs.atlan.com/llms/catalog/usage-and-popularity/interpret-usage-metrics/llms.txt) views based on the number of times users open a report or dashboard in Microsoft Power BI.

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