Sharing Power BI Reports with Pro Users in E5 Environment (Solution Included)
Problem:
I encountered an issue sharing Power BI reports with colleagues who have Pro licenses (via Microsoft E5) in our organization. When they accessed the reports within the app, they received a prompt to upgrade to Premium.
Solution:
The root cause was sharing the reports from a Power BI Premium workspace. To ensure access for Pro users, I simply switched the workspace containing the app to a Pro workspace. This aligns the workspace license with the user licenses (Pro) and eliminates the upgrade prompt.
This approach allows for seamless collaboration with Pro users within our organization.
Important Note: While this solution enables Pro user access, it's essential to understand the limitations of Pro workspaces compared to Premium:
- Dataset Size: Pro workspaces have a 1 GB dataset size limit. Ensure your datasets fall within this limit to avoid issues.
- Refresh Frequency: Pro workspaces have an eight-time refresh limit per day. If your reports rely on more frequent data refreshes or advanced collaboration features, Premium functionalities might be a better fit for those stakeholders.
Addressing Premium Needs:
For stakeholders requiring access to features like larger datasets, more frequent refreshes, or workspace sharing capabilities, consider these options:
- Upgrade Specific Users to Premium Licenses: If only a few stakeholders need these features, individual Premium licenses might be a cost-effective solution.
- Maintain a Separate Premium Workspace: If a subset of reports requires Premium functionalities, you can maintain a separate Premium workspace specifically for those reports and grant access to the appropriate users.
By understanding these trade-offs, you can choose the workspace type that best suits the needs of your audience and report requirements.