Displaying Power BI reports to the public on Power Pages or other web platforms can provide significant value for businesses and organizations aiming to share insights with external users. However, the implementation comes with several important factors to consider, especially for anonymous users.
What You Need to Know About Public Power BI Embedding
1. Power BI Public Embedding Overview
Power BI allows you to publish reports for anonymous users using capacities like Power BI Embedded (A SKUs) or Power BI Premium (P SKUs). Here’s how it works:
- Reports are embedded on public websites or apps using embedded analytics.
- Anonymous users don’t require authentication to view the reports.
- A capacity (A SKU, P SKU, or F SKU) is mandatory to serve the report, ensuring dedicated resources for rendering and performance.
Scenarios for Public Embedding
Low Traffic:
- Suitable for limited audiences, such as small organizations or specialized reports.
- Recommended Capacity: Start with a lower-tier SKU like A1 or A2.
High Traffic:
- For websites expecting significant visitor volume, scalability is essential to handle concurrency and performance.
- Recommended Capacity: Use higher-tier SKUs like A4 (Power BI Embedded) or P1 (Power BI Premium).
Variable Traffic:
- If visitor volume varies (e.g., seasonal demand or peak hours), dynamic scaling is ideal.
- Recommended Capacity: Power BI Embedded SKUs (A SKUs) allow hourly scaling to match demand.
Key Considerations for Public Embedding
1. Capacity and SKUs
- Power BI offers several capacity options:
- Power BI Embedded (A SKUs): Flexible, hourly billing; ideal for ISVs or developers embedding reports in apps.
- Power BI Premium (P SKUs): Fixed monthly or yearly costs; best for enterprises with steady high-volume needs.
- F SKUs (Microsoft Fabric): For advanced use cases requiring data integration with Fabric components.
2. Cost and Visitor Volume
- The cost of embedding depends on:
- The number of visitors (traffic).
- The concurrency of users accessing the report at the same time.
- Low Volume: Lower-tier SKUs (e.g., A1, A2) suffice for smaller audiences.
- High Volume: Higher-tier SKUs (e.g., A4, P1) are needed for performance and scalability.
3. Performance and Resource Allocation
- Each SKU provides specific resources (v-cores, memory, and capacity units). For example:
- A1: 1 v-core, 3 GB memory, and supports light workloads.
- A4: 8 v-cores, 25 GB memory, and handles heavy concurrency.
- Ensure that the capacity matches the dataset size and expected traffic to prevent performance degradation.
Benefits of Public Embedding
- Easy Access: No authentication required for users.
- Scalability: With A SKUs, you can scale resources up or down hourly to match demand.
- Cost Management: Pausing capacity during low-traffic periods reduces costs (available for A SKUs).
- Flexibility: Embed in custom applications, websites, or portals like Power Pages.
Challenges and Risks
1. Data Security
- Public embedding makes reports accessible to anyone with the link, so ensure no sensitive data is exposed.
- Use anonymized and aggregated data to mitigate risks.
2. Performance Under High Traffic
- Unexpected spikes in traffic can strain resources, requiring dynamic scaling or higher capacity tiers.
3. Licensing Costs
- Power BI Premium (P SKUs) involves fixed monthly/yearly costs, which can be expensive if traffic is low.
- Power BI Embedded (A SKUs) requires careful scaling to avoid unnecessary expenses.
4. Compliance Concerns
- Ensure compliance with regulations (e.g., GDPR, CCPA) when exposing public data.
Tips for Effective Public Embedding
- Optimize Reports: Reduce report complexity and dataset size for faster load times.
- Cache Data: Use pre-aggregated data for reports that don’t need real-time updates.
- Monitor Usage: Track traffic patterns and resource consumption to adjust capacity efficiently.
- Use Secure Embedding: If embedding on secure platforms like Power Pages, configure secure URLs with limited interactivity.
Recommendations Based on Visitor Volume
| Visitor Volume | Recommendation |
|---|---|
| Low Traffic (<10 users) | Use A1 SKU for cost-effective performance. Pause capacity during off-peak hours. |
| Moderate Traffic (10-100 users) | Use A2 or A3 SKU. Scale up during peak traffic and pause when inactive. |
| High Traffic (>100 users) | Use A4 or P1 SKU to handle high concurrency and ensure seamless performance. |
| Variable Traffic | Use A SKUs with dynamic scaling to balance costs and performance. |
Example Use Case
An organization embeds a public Power BI report on its Power Pages website to display real-time sales data for its customers:
- Low Traffic Periods: The organization uses A2 SKU ($2.016/hour) and scales down to A1 during non-peak hours.
- High Traffic Periods: During product launches, it scales up to A4 SKU to handle spikes in user traffic.
Conclusion
Embedding Power BI reports for public (anonymous) users can be cost-effective and impactful with the right strategy. Choose a capacity tier based on expected traffic, optimize performance, and ensure data security to provide an exceptional user experience. For variable traffic, Power BI Embedded (A SKUs) offers flexibility, while Power BI Premium (P SKUs) provides predictable costs for steady, high-volume usage.
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