XMLA endpoint in Power BI provides a simple and secure method to query data, enabling direct connectivity between Microsoft Power BI and your data sources. It substantially enhances the capabilities of Power BI by boosting its performance, increasing its capacity, and providing the provision for advanced modelling. The XMLA endpoint comes beneficial mainly in testing, debugging, and querying datasets during the optimization of your BI reports.
However, XMLA endpoints are read-only by default and need to be enabled to support the read-write functionalities. Read-write functionalities facilitate queries such as creating, altering, and deleting datasets in Power BI.
Enabling the XMLA endpoint
The XMLA endpoint can be enabled by following these steps:
- Navigate to the Power BI admin portal.
- Under the ‘Capacity settings’, select ‘Power BI Premium’ or ‘Power BI Embedded.
- Under ‘Workloads’, locate the XMLA Endpoint and switch it to ‘Enabled.
Remember, you need to have admin access to perform these operations.
With the XMLA endpoint now enabled, you can connect to it from client tools that support Analysis services like SQL Server Management Studio (SSMS) and Azure Data Studio.
Connecting to the XMLA endpoint
In Microsoft’s SQL Server Management Studio (SSMS):
- From the ‘Connect’ dropdown on the ‘Object Explorer’ panel, select ‘Analysis Services.
- In the ‘Server name’ box, provide the XMLA endpoint URL. This URL can be obtained from the Power BI workspace > Settings > Premium > Workspace Connection.
- Choose ‘Active Directory – Password’ in the ‘Authentication’ option and provide your login credentials.
By following these steps, you would be connected to the XMLA endpoint through SSMS.
Querying Datasets using the XMLA endpoint
Datasets in Power BI can be queried directly using DAX and MDX queries via the XMLA endpoint. These queries can be executed from SQL Server Management Studio (SSMS), Azure Data Studio, or any client tool that supports DAX & MDX languages.
DAX Query example:
Here is an example of a DAX query that can be executed against the datasets obtained from the XMLA endpoint.
EVALUATE
SUMMARIZECOLUMNS(
'Date'[Year],
'Sales'[Sales Amount],
'Category'[Category Name]
)
In the above DAX Query:
EVALUATEperforms the data exploration.SUMMARIZECOLUMNSprovides the summary of the Sales for each Year and Product Category.
MDX Query example:
Here is an example of an MDX query.
SELECT
{ [Measures].[Internet Sales Amount] } ON COLUMNS,
{ [Date].[Calendar].[Calendar Year].MEMBERS } ON ROWS
FROM
[Adventure Works]
In the above MDX Query:
- The
SELECTclause provides the Measures to return, which in this case is the Internet Sales Amount. - The
ON COLUMNSclause specifies these measures to be provided as columns. - The
{ [Date].[Calendar].[Calendar Year].MEMBERS } ON ROWSspecifies that the calendar years should be listed as separate rows. FROM [Adventure Works]specifies the dataset to fetch the data from.
By harnessing the power of the XMLA endpoints, developers can quickly optimize and secure the dataset queries. This robust connection method, combined with the powerful querying mechanisms of DAX and MDX, elevates the versatility and performance, making the data solutions scalable and reliable. This functionality proves particularly beneficial when preparing for the DP-500 certification exam focused on designing and implementing enterprise-scale analytics solutions with Microsoft Azure and Microsoft Power BI.
Practice Test
True or False: The XMLA endpoint in Power BI allows read and write operations.
- True
- False
Answer: True
Explanation: The XMLA endpoint in Power BI lets client applications read and write Power BI models as they do with models deployed to Analysis Services servers.
Which of the following are supported client applications that can connect to XMLA endpoints? Select all that apply.
- a) SQL Server Management Studio (SSMS)
- b) Analysis Services Profiler
- c) Microsoft Excel
- d) None of the above
Answer: a) SQL Server Management Studio (SSMS), b) Analysis Services Profiler
Explanation: Both SQL Server Management Studio (SSMS) and Analysis Services Profiler are supported client applications for XMLA endpoints.
True or False: We can only query datasets using the XMLA endpoint and cannot execute management tasks.
- True
- False
Answer: False
Explanation: Besides querying, we can also perform management tasks such as deployment, debugging, and script execution via XMLA endpoints.
Which protocol does XMLA endpoint use to allow client applications to communicate with Power BI?
- a) HTTP
- b) TCP/IP
- c) XML for Analysis (XMLA)
- d) SOAP
Answer: c) XML for Analysis (XMLA)
Explanation: XMLA endpoint uses XML for Analysis (XMLA), a protocol for interacting with analytical data that uses SOAP for communication.
True or False: The XMLA endpoint is available in Power BI premium only.
- True
- False
Answer: True
Explanation: The XMLA endpoint is only available in Power BI Premium capacity, not in other versions.
Which of the following datasets are accessible via the XMLA endpoint in Power BI? Select all that apply.
- a) On-premises SQL Server databases
- b) Azure SQL Database
- c) Azure Analysis Services
- d) Power BI datasets
Answer: d) Power BI datasets
Explanation: XMLA endpoints currently only allow access to Power BI datasets in Power BI Premium.
True or False: Power BI datasets can be directly accessed using the XMLA endpoint without using any client applications.
- True
- False
Answer: False
Explanation: Client applications are required to connect to XMLA endpoints and access the Power BI datasets.
Which of the following actions can be performed using XMLA read-only operations? Select all that apply.
- a) Refreshing datasets
- b) Querying datasets
- c) Downloading datasets
- d) Modifying datasets
Answer: b) Querying datasets
Explanation: XMLA read-only operations are used only for accessing/querying datasets. They are not used for modifying or downloading datasets.
True or False: XMLA endpoint supports single-user authentication using Power BI user credentials.
- True
- False
Answer: False
Explanation: XMLA endpoint supports service principal and multi-user authentication using Azure Active Directory (AAD).
Can you use XMLA endpoints to migrate datasets between Power BI workspaces?
- a) Yes
- b) No
Answer: a) Yes
Explanation: XMLA endpoints support migration of datasets between different Power BI workspaces using tools like SQL Server Management Studio.
Interview Questions
What is the XMLA endpoint in Power BI?
XMLA endpoint in Power BI is a unified connection interface that allows client applications, tools, and libraries to query Power BI datasets as well as datasets from Analysis Services.
What are the different states of the XMLA Read/Write endpoint for Power BI Premium?
The XMLA Read/Write endpoint for Power Experiences can be in one of three states: Off, Read Only, and Read/Write.
Can you connect to Power BI datasets using the XMLA endpoints if you have a Power BI Pro license?
No, XMLA endpoints feature is exclusive to Power BI Premium and Power BI Premium per User (PPU) licenses only.
Can you use SQL Server Management Studio (SSMS) to connect to Power BI datasets via the XMLA endpoint?
Yes, you can use SQL Server Management Studio (SSMS) and other SQL Server client tools to connect to Power BI datasets through the XMLA endpoint.
Which versions of Analysis Services does the XMLA endpoint support?
XMLA endpoints support Azure Analysis Services (AAS), SQL Server Analysis Services (SSAS) 2017 and later Tabular models.
Which of the following operations can NOT be performed when the XMLA endpoint state is set to Read/Write?
When the XMLA endpoint state is set to Read/Write, you still cannot perform operations that directly modify the structure of a published dataset, such as Create, Delete, and Alter operations on tables and columns.
Which operations can be performed on datasets via XMLA Endpoints?
Operations such as Refresh, Pause / Resume, Cancel Refresh, and Get / Set Properties are available and usable using XMLA Endpoints.
What is the limitation on query and command timeout when using XMLA Endpoints in Power BI?
The query and command timeout limit is set to 3 hours when using XMLA Endpoints in Power BI.
Is it possible to perform a backup or restore operation on a Power BI dataset using the XMLA endpoint?
No, Power BI does not support backup or restore operations through the XMLA endpoint.
Can you use XMLA endpoints to migrate content from Power BI to Azure Analysis Services?
No, while XMLA endpoints provide some interoperability between Power BI and Analysis Services, there’s currently no support for migrating/replicating content from Power BI to Azure Analysis Services through XMLA endpoints.
Does Power BI XMLA endpoints support DirectQuery mode in Power BI datasets?
No, currently XMLA endpoints for Power BI do not support DirectQuery mode in Power BI datasets.
Can tracing client applications and tools activity with Power BI datasets using XMLA endpoints be achieved?
Yes, you can use Azure Log Analytics and Azure Monitor with Power BI to monitor and trace client application and tools activity with Power BI datasets.
What are the supported protocols for XMLA endpoints in Power BI?
XMLA endpoints in Power BI support client tools and applications using the MSOLAP data provider which uses ADOMD.NET over TCP/IP.
How can you secure the connections to Power BI datasets via XMLA endpoints?
XMLA endpoints in Power BI supports Azure Active Directory (Azure AD) for authenticating and secure connections.
Is it possible to limit XMLA Endpoint access to specific IP ranges?
Power BI currently does not support limiting XMLA Endpoint access to specific IP ranges. However, you can enforce restrictions via Azure Active Directory Conditional Access policies.
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