ConfigMgr Integrate Power BI Reporting Server with SCCM

Hello, folks let me share my experience, how to integrate Power BI reporting server with SCCM CB. Let’s understand more details about Power BI and the implementation of the Power BI reporting server from this post. You also need to install Power BI desktop app to create the custom reports.

Before that, we should know that what is Power BI and why it is required? To answer this, Power BI is a business analytics solution provided by Microsoft to visualize your data and share users to create their own reports and dashboard. Using Power BI users can do the customization of the report and dashboard according to requirement.

Well, Mohan has already written about How to Build Power BI Live Dashboard Integration with SCCM | ConfigMgr. You can read that post if you want to know more about Power BI SCCM Dashboard implementation details. There is a video tutorial also to help with the Dashboard demo.

Prerequisites

The following is the quick list of prerequisites to integrate the Power BI Reporting server with ConfigMgr (a.k.a SCCM). Apart from the list of items mentioned below, you need to have appropriate SQL and SCCM permissions.

• Power BI license required. Licensing Power BI Report Server.
• Download Microsoft Power BI Report Server-September 2019, or later.
• Download Microsoft Power BI Desktop (Optimized for Power BI Report Server – September 2019), or later

Backup SSRS Encryption Keys

If you already configured reporting service point in the site, then follow below step.

• Go to Reporting Server Configuration Manager and backup the Encryption Keys.

• Store encryption keys in some location and while saving the keys it will ask to provide the password. While restoring the key use the same password.
• Remove Reporting Server Role from the Primary site (if already installed).
• Uninstall SQL Server Reporting Services.
  • Note: Keep the database.
• Once all the steps have completed, then follow the step “Configure Power BI Reporting Service Point“

Configure Power BI Reporting Service Point

Let’s start the integration process.

Step-1

• Download & Install Microsoft Power BI Report Server-September 2019 as admin on Primary site.

• Once installation completed click on configure the report server.

Configuring Power BI Report Server

Step-2

• In this step put the Primary server name and Report Server Instance must be PBIRS (Power BI Report Server) should come automatically. Click on Connect.

• Once you connect to the report server, you will find Report Service Status “Started“

Step-3

• Go to the Database option and click on Change Database to configure the report server database.

• Select “Choose an existing report server database” and Click Next.

• Provide SQL server name and choose Authentication Type as below in the picture. Provide user name and password and click Test Connection. Once the connection succeeded, then click Next.

• In Database section choose “Report Server” from Report Server Database filed and Click Next.

• Provide database credentials to connect to the SQL database and Click Next.

• Verify all the details provided in previous step in Summary and Click Next. Once this configuration completed click on Finish.

• Once configuration completed you will see in results as below. Click on Apply.

• Click on Encryption Keys
• Click on the Restore button to restore the Encryption Key
• Once the database successfully configured go to the”Encryption Keys” option and click on “Restore” Then select the backup file location and provide the password click “Ok“. You will see the encryption key will be restored successfully.

NOTE! – Use SQL Server Reporting Services Configuration Manager to test and verify the configuration. For more information, see Verify SQL Server Reporting Services installation.

• As the next step goes to “Web Service URL” if you see the URLs present then click on Apply. Also, verify in the “Web Portal URL” and click Apply.

ConfigMgr Configurations

Note: If you not configure the Power BI Reporting server and the go-ahead to the SCCM site and added the Reporting Services Point role you will not be able to find the Reporting services server instance.

Step-4

• Once Power BI Report server configuration completed, then go the ConfigMgr site add “Reporting Services Role” on the Primary site.
• Now you can see the Reporting Services server instance will automatically come as “PBIRS“. Then Click Next.

• Now the Reporting Services Point role will be successfully added in the site. Click Close to complete the action.

Step-5

• Now install the Microsoft Power BI Desktop (Optimized for Power BI Report Server – September 2019) run as admin on the primary site.

NOTE! – After the installation of Power BI Desktop app, launch Power BI Desktop at least once before you open the SCCM Admin console.

Results

Now you can launch the Power BI reports from web portal. Also you can create custom SCCM reports using Power BI desktops.

• Now in the SCCM console Monitoring\Overview\Reporting node, you will see the Power BI Reports option will be available.
• Right-click on the Power BI Reports and Click on Create Report.

Resources

• Integrate with Power BI Report Server: https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/mem/configmgr/core/servers/manage/powerbi-report-server

Sharing is caring!