Refreshing Power BI Dataset from an Azure Data Factory (ADF)/ Azure Synapse Pipeline

Objective: This Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) provides a detailed guide on how to refresh a
Power BI dataset using Azure Data Factory (ADF) / Azure Synapse pipeline.
Prerequisites:
1. Access to Azure Portal with necessary permissions.
2. managed identity of ADF / Synapse with access to the Power BI workspace dataset.
3. Knowledge of Azure Data Factory / Azure Synapse and Power BI.
4. AAD_Az_CDP_PowerBI_refresh AD security group in Admin portal -- Developer settings in
Power BI

Procedure:
Step 1: Grant access to Power BI Workspace:
1. Add the managed identity of ADF / Synapse to AD security group
“AAD_Az_CDP_PowerBI_refresh”.
2. Grant admin access to Power BI workspace for AD security group
“AAD_Az_CDP_PowerBI_refresh”
Step 2: Create an Azure Data Factory Pipeline:
1. Sign into the Azure Portal (https://portal.azure.com).
2. Open your Azure Data Factory instance or create a new one if necessary.
3. Navigate to the "Author" section and select "Pipelines".
4. Create a new pipeline or open an existing one where you want to add the Power BI dataset refresh
activity.
Step 3: Add Power BI Dataset Refresh Activity:
1. Within the ADF Pipeline, drag and drop the "Web" activity onto the canvas.
2. Configure the Web activity to call the Power BI REST API for dataset refresh.
3. In the settings, provide the following information:
 Method: POST
 URI: https://api.powerbi.com/v1.0/myorg/groups/{group-id}/datasets/{dataset-id}/
refreshes
 Authentication: System Assigned Managed identity
 Resource: https://analysis.windows.net/powerbi/api
4. Test the Web activity to ensure that it successfully calls the Power BI REST API and triggers the
dataset refresh.
Step 5: Monitor Pipeline Execution:
1. Once the pipeline is deployed and scheduled, monitor its execution through the Azure Data
Factory / Azure Synapse Monitoring interface.
2. Check the execution logs for any errors or warnings related to the dataset refresh activity.
Step 6: Schedule the Pipeline Execution:
1. Set up a schedule for the Azure Data Factory/ Azure Synapse pipeline to run at the desired
frequency.
2. Consider the dataset refresh frequency and the timing of other upstream data processes to ensure
data consistency.
Step 7: Verify Dataset Refresh:
1. Once the pipeline has been executed successfully according to the schedule, verify that the Power
BI dataset has been refreshed.
2. Log in to the Power BI Service, navigate to the dataset, and check the refresh history to ensure
that the latest data is reflected.
Step 8: Troubleshooting:
In case of any errors or issues during the dataset refresh, refer to the execution logs in Azure Data
Factory / Azure Synapse for detailed error messages.