Recommend and configure a Power BI tenant or workspace to integrate with Azure Data Lake Storage Gen2

In this article, we will guide you through the process of recommending and configuring a Power BI tenant or workspace to integrate with Azure Data Lake Storage Gen2. This integration allows you to seamlessly access and analyze data stored in Azure Data Lake Storage Gen2 within your Power BI environment.

Step 1: Setting up Azure Data Lake Storage Gen2

Before you can integrate Azure Data Lake Storage Gen2 with Power BI, you need to set up your Data Lake Storage Gen2 account. Follow these steps:

1. Navigate to the Azure portal (portal.azure.com) and sign in.
2. Create a new Data Lake Storage Gen2 account or select an existing one.
3. Configure the account by specifying the desired settings such as storage account name, pricing tier, replication, etc.
4. Once the account is created, make a note of the account name and file system details as they will be required later in the configuration process.

Step 2: Creating a Service Principal and Granting Permissions

To establish a connection between Power BI and Data Lake Storage Gen2, you need to create a service principal and grant it the necessary permissions. Follow these steps:

1. In the Azure portal, search for “Azure Active Directory” and select the corresponding service.
2. Navigate to “App registrations” and create a new application registration.
3. Provide a name for the application, select the appropriate supported account type, and specify a redirect URI (e.g., https://localhost).
4. Once the application is created, make a note of its Application (client) ID and Directory (tenant) ID.

Next, grant the necessary permissions to the service principal:

1. Navigate to the Data Lake Storage Gen2 account created in Step 1.
2. Under the “Access control (IAM)” section, click on “Add” and select the “Add role assignment” option.
3. Choose the appropriate role (e.g., Storage Blob Data Contributor, Storage Blob Data Owner) and search/select the service principal created earlier.
4. Click “Save” to grant the selected role to the service principal.

Step 3: Configuring Power BI to Use Data Lake Storage Gen2

Now that you have set up Azure Data Lake Storage Gen2 and created the service principal, you can proceed with configuring Power BI:

1. Open Power BI and sign in using your Power BI account.
2. Navigate to the workspace where you want to integrate with Data Lake Storage Gen2.
3. Click on the gear icon for workspace settings and select “Settings.”
4. Under the “Settings” tab, click on “Storage accounts.”
5. Select “Azure Data Lake Storage Gen2” and click on the “Add storage” button.
6. Provide a name for the storage account and enter the storage account name and file system details obtained from Step 1.
7. Choose the authentication method as “Service principal authentication.”
8. Enter the application (client) ID and directory (tenant) ID of the service principal created earlier.
9. Click “Connect” to establish the connection between Power BI and Data Lake Storage Gen2.

Once the configuration is complete, you will be able to access and use data from Azure Data Lake Storage Gen2 within your Power BI workspace.

Note: Make sure that the service principal has appropriate permissions to access the Data Lake Storage Gen2 account. Review and update the role assignments if necessary.

In conclusion, integrating Azure Data Lake Storage Gen2 with Power BI is a straightforward process involving the setup of the storage account, creation of a service principal, and configuration within Power BI. By following these steps, you can seamlessly access and utilize data from Azure Data Lake Storage Gen2 in your Power BI workspace. Happy analyzing!