Sharing and access control in Power BI - Practice Problems & Coding Challenges

Challenge - 5 Problems

🧠 Conceptual

intermediate

Understanding Power BI Sharing Permissions

Which of the following statements correctly describes the difference between sharing a Power BI report and publishing it to a workspace?

A Sharing a report automatically grants edit permissions, but publishing only grants view permissions.

B Publishing a report restricts access to only the report owner, while sharing allows anyone in the organization to edit it.

C Sharing a report allows specific users to view it, while publishing to a workspace makes it available to all workspace members.

D Publishing a report sends it via email, while sharing creates a public link accessible by anyone.

💡 Hint

Think about who can access the report in each case.

Sharing a report lets you give access to specific people, while publishing it to a workspace makes it accessible to all members of that workspace.

🎯 Scenario

intermediate

Row-Level Security (RLS) Application

You have a sales report with data for multiple regions. You want each regional manager to see only their region's data when accessing the report. Which Power BI feature should you use?

A Use Row-Level Security (RLS) to filter data based on user roles.

B Create separate reports for each region and share individually.

C Publish the report to a public workspace without restrictions.

D Send the report as an Excel file with filtered data.

💡 Hint

Consider a way to restrict data dynamically within the same report.

Row-Level Security lets you define filters that show data only for the user's assigned region.

❓ dax_lod_result

advanced

DAX Expression for Dynamic Access Control

Given a table 'Sales' with columns 'Region' and 'SalesAmount', and a table 'UserAccess' with columns 'UserEmail' and 'Region', which DAX expression correctly implements RLS to allow users to see only their region's sales?

Power BI

FILTER(Sales, Sales[Region] = LOOKUPVALUE(UserAccess[Region], UserAccess[UserEmail], USERPRINCIPALNAME()))

A FILTER(Sales, Sales[Region] = LOOKUPVALUE(UserAccess[Region], UserAccess[UserEmail], USERPRINCIPALNAME()))

B FILTER(Sales, Sales[Region] IN VALUES(UserAccess[Region]))

C FILTER(Sales, UserAccess[UserEmail] = USERPRINCIPALNAME())

D FILTER(Sales, Sales[Region] = USERPRINCIPALNAME())

💡 Hint

Think about matching the user's email to their allowed region.

Option A uses LOOKUPVALUE to find the user's region and filters sales accordingly.

❓ visualization

advanced

Designing a Secure Dashboard for Multiple User Roles

You need to create a Power BI dashboard that shows different visuals depending on whether the user is a Sales Manager or a Finance Manager. What is the best approach to implement this?

A Create separate dashboards for each role and share accordingly.

B Use bookmarks and buttons to manually switch visuals without security restrictions.

C Publish all visuals on one dashboard and rely on users to ignore irrelevant data.

D Implement RLS and use DAX measures to conditionally show or hide visuals based on user role.

💡 Hint

Consider how to control visual visibility dynamically and securely.

Using RLS with DAX allows you to control what data and visuals each user role can see securely within one dashboard.

🔧 Formula Fix

expert

Troubleshooting Sharing Access Issues

A user reports they cannot access a shared Power BI report even though you shared it with their email. Which of the following is the most likely cause?

A The report was shared using a public link instead of direct sharing.

B The user does not have a Power BI Pro license or the report is not in a Premium workspace.

C The user's email is misspelled in the sharing list but they still receive access.

D The report owner forgot to publish the report after sharing.

💡 Hint

Think about licensing requirements for shared content.

Power BI requires users to have a Pro license or the content to be in a Premium workspace to access shared reports.

Practice

1. What is the main purpose of sharing in Power BI?

easy

A. To create new data models

B. To give others access to your reports and dashboards safely

C. To write DAX formulas

D. To export data to Excel

Solution

1. Step 1: Understand sharing concept in Power BI

   Sharing allows you to let others see or interact with your reports and dashboards securely.

2. Step 2: Identify the main goal of sharing

   The main goal is to provide safe access, not to create or export data.

3. Final Answer:

   To give others access to your reports and dashboards safely -> Option B

4. Quick Check:

   Sharing = safe access [OK]

Hint: Sharing means giving safe access to your content [OK]

Common Mistakes:

• Confusing sharing with data modeling
• Thinking sharing is for exporting data
• Assuming sharing means editing data

2. Which of the following is the correct way to share a Power BI report with a colleague?

easy

A. Export the report as PDF and upload to a shared folder

B. Send the PBIX file via email without permissions

C. Copy the report URL and paste it in a public forum

D. Use the Power BI service and click the Share button on the report

Solution

1. Step 1: Identify the official sharing method in Power BI

   The Power BI service provides a Share button to share reports securely with permissions.

2. Step 2: Evaluate other options for security and control

   Sending files or URLs without permissions or posting publicly is unsafe and not recommended.

3. Final Answer:

   Use the Power BI service and click the Share button on the report -> Option D

4. Quick Check:

   Share button in service = correct sharing [OK]

Hint: Always use Share button in Power BI service for safe sharing [OK]

Common Mistakes:

• Sharing files without permissions
• Posting report links publicly
• Using export instead of sharing

3. If you assign a user the 'Viewer' role in Power BI workspace, what can they do?

medium

A. Edit reports and datasets

B. Delete workspace

C. View reports and dashboards only

D. Publish new content

Solution

1. Step 1: Understand the 'Viewer' role permissions

   The Viewer role allows users to only view reports and dashboards without editing rights.

2. Step 2: Compare with other roles

   Editing, publishing, or deleting requires higher roles like Member or Admin.

3. Final Answer:

   View reports and dashboards only -> Option C

4. Quick Check:

   Viewer role = view only [OK]

Hint: Viewer role means view-only access [OK]

Common Mistakes:

• Assuming Viewer can edit content
• Confusing Viewer with Member or Admin roles
• Thinking Viewer can delete workspace

4. You shared a report but the recipient says they cannot view it. What is the most likely cause?

medium

A. You forgot to assign them a role or permission

B. The report has no data

C. The recipient's Power BI license expired

D. You shared the report as a PDF

Solution

1. Step 1: Check sharing permissions

   If the recipient cannot view, likely they were not given access or role permissions.

2. Step 2: Evaluate other causes

   Report data or license issues are less common; sharing as PDF does not allow interactive viewing.

3. Final Answer:

   You forgot to assign them a role or permission -> Option A

4. Quick Check:

   Missing permission = no access [OK]

Hint: Always assign roles when sharing reports [OK]

Common Mistakes:

• Ignoring permission assignment
• Assuming data absence blocks viewing
• Confusing file type with access rights

5. You want to share a dashboard with external users but restrict them from resaving or sharing it further. Which Power BI feature should you use?

hard

A. Use Azure AD B2B guest access with read-only permissions

B. Export the dashboard as Excel and email it

C. Publish the dashboard to web publicly

D. Send the PBIX file with password protection

Solution

1. Step 1: Identify secure external sharing options

   Azure AD B2B guest access allows external users to access content with controlled permissions.

2. Step 2: Evaluate other options for security

   Exporting or publishing publicly removes control; PBIX files cannot enforce sharing restrictions.

3. Final Answer:

   Use Azure AD B2B guest access with read-only permissions -> Option A

4. Quick Check:

   Azure AD B2B + read-only = secure external sharing [OK]

Hint: Use Azure AD B2B for controlled external sharing [OK]

Common Mistakes:

• Publishing dashboards publicly
• Sending editable files externally
• Assuming password protects sharing rights