Case Study Resolving External User Access Issues in Power BI

Note: This case study reflects a real-world case study with names omitted for confidentiality.

Introduction:

[ABC Wineries] is a well-known Australian wine producer that leverages Power BI for data analysis and reporting. Recently, they encountered a critical challenge: they needed to share a Power BI workspace and sales reports with users from an external organization but faced difficulties in granting access. This case study will explore the situation and the step-by-step troubleshooting process that led to a successful resolution.

Background:

• Client: [ABC Wineries]

• External Organization: [XYZ External Board Members]

• Objective: Share a Power BI workspace containing sales reports from [ABC Wineries] with [XYZ External Board Members].

• Issue: [XYZ External Board Members]'s users were unable to access the shared workspace and reports.

Challenges Faced:

1. Workspace Sharing Settings:

   • Initially, [ABC Wineries] encountered issues enabling sharing for the specific workspace intended for [XYZ External Board Members].

2. User Email Verification:

   • Ensuring that the email addresses of [XYZ External Board Members]'s users were correctly formatted posed an early challenge.

3. Inviting External Users:

   • Sending invitations to [XYZ External Board Members]'s users required precise execution to ensure they received access.

4. Sharing Policies:

   • The organization-wide settings for sharing with external users needed to be reviewed to allow [XYZ External Board Members] access.

5. Access Troubleshooting:

   • Identifying the root cause of [XYZ External Board Members]'s users' inability to access the workspace was critical.

Resolution Steps:

1. Check Workspace Settings:

   • Verified and adjusted sharing settings for the target workspace.

2. Email Verification:

   • Ensured that [XYZ External Board Members]'s users' email addresses were accurately obtained.

3. Invite External Users:

   • Sent invitations to [XYZ External Board Members]'s users with clear instructions on accessing the workspace.

4. Review Sharing Policies:

   • Evaluated and adjusted organization-wide sharing policies to allow external access.

5. Access Troubleshooting:

   • Investigated and resolved issues related to [XYZ External Board Members]'s users' access, including authentication and permissions.

6. Activity Log Monitoring:

   • Reviewed the Power BI activity log to identify and address any errors related to sharing.

7. Domain Configuration:

   • Ensured that the external domain ([XYZ External Board Members]) was properly configured both in Azure Active Directory and Power BI tenant settings.

8. Licensing Check:

   • Confirmed that [XYZ External Board Members]'s users had the necessary Power BI licenses for access.

9. Revoke and Reinvite:

   • In cases where issues persisted, revoked access and reinvited [XYZ External Board Members]'s users, paying careful attention to the process.

10. Successful Access:

    • After following these steps, [XYZ External Board Members]'s users successfully gained access to the shared workspace and sales reports.

Conclusion:

Through a systematic troubleshooting approach, [ABC Wineries] was able to overcome challenges and successfully share their Power BI workspace and sales reports with external users from [XYZ External Board Members]. This case study underscores the importance of careful configuration, clear communication, and diligent problem-solving when extending access to external organizations in Power BI.

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