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Generate Power BI columns to dataset lineage
App

You can generate lineage between Microsoft Power BI columns and datasets by using the PowerBI Columns -> Dataset lineage app. This helps you see which columns feed each dataset and report and makes it easier to troubleshoot issues or understand the impact of changes.

This guide walks you through preparing your report.json files and configuring the app to read them from an AWS S3 bucket by using an IAM role. You can use similar steps when reading from AWS S3 with access keys or from Azure Blob Storage.

Prerequisites​

Before you begin, make sure you have:

Prepare Power BI report metadata​

Before you can generate lineage, you first need to extract the internal Power BI metadata that the app uses. This metadata is stored in each report’s report.json file, which can only be accessed by enabling Developer Mode and saving the report as a Power BI project. Follow the steps below to prepare these files.

  1. Open each Power BI report in Power BI Desktop and enable Developer Mode by going to File → Options and settings → Options → Preview features and selecting Power BI Project (.pbip) save option.

  2. Save the report as a Power BI Project (.pbip) file. On your machine, open the project folder and locate the .Report directory, which contains the report.json file for that report.

  3. Upload the report.json files to your chosen object storage location (AWS S3 or Azure Blob Storage).

    • For AWS S3, create a folder for each report using the Power BI report ID as the folder name, and upload the report.json inside that folder.

    • For Azure Blob Storage, upload each file using the format:

      <Power BI report ID>@@@<file name>.json

    If you prefer to use AWS access keys or Azure object storage, review authentication examples in Object storage for apps before continuing.

Set up workflow​

  1. Go to the homepage and click New workflow in the top navigation bar.

  2. Search for PowerBI Columns -> Dataset lineage, and then select Set up workflow.

  3. In Workflow Name, enter a descriptive name that clearly identifies the scope of the lineage, such as Power BI columns to dataset lineage - finance workspaces.

  4. In Output type, select Generate Lineage to create lineage from the input files. If you want to delete lineage previously created by this app for the same scope, select Delete Lineage.

  5. In Connection, click Select a connection and choose the Atlan Microsoft Power BI connection that's associated with the reports whose report.json files you uploaded.

  6. In Input, select the storage option that matches where you uploaded your report.json files, such as AWS S3 IAM Role, AWS S3 IAM User, or Azure Blob.

  7. Based on your selected storage option, configure the required fields such as the bucket or container name, folder path, and region (or the equivalent settings for Azure). For role configuration examples, see the Amazon S3 section in Object storage for apps.

  8. Review the configuration and save the workflow.

  9. Run the workflow once to generate lineage between Power BI columns and datasets based on the uploaded report.json files.

Verify lineage​

After the workflow finishes, validate that lineage has been created as expected.

  1. From the left navigation, click Assets.

  2. Search for a Power BI dataset that was in scope for the workflow and open its asset profile.

  3. Click the Lineage tab and zoom in on the dataset.

  4. Check that:

    • Power BI columns appear as upstream nodes connected to the dataset.
    • The lineage graph reflects the column usage in your Power BI reports.

  5. Repeat the check for a few additional datasets or reports to make sure lineage coverage matches your expectations.

If you need to adjust which assets are included in lineage, update the workflow configuration or the set of report.json files in your bucket and rerun the workflow.

Need help?​

If you have any issues while configuring or running the app, contact Atlan support.

See also​