The Clearly Podcast

Power BI Report Server

Summary

This week we take a look at Power BI Report Server - the on-premise way to deploy Power BI reports.

We consider when to use it and when not to, the limitations, and the costs.

In general though, the default position should probably be to use the cloud service as Report Server will always lag behind in terms of features, and comes with bigger cost overheads since it needs to be deployed on an infrastructure that has to be purchased and maintained.

The main (only?) compelling reason to use it it likely to be regulatory: that you are processing data that cannot for regulatory (or contractual) reasons be hosted in the cloud.  That is not to imply that the cloud is any less secure - indeed it is probably more secure than on-premise infrastructure - but regulation frequently lags behind technology.

For more information, read this detailed comparison of features and an introduction to the pre-requisites (including licensing).

You can download Power BI Desktop from here.

If you already use Power BI, or are considering it, we strongly recommend you join your local Power BI user group here.

Transcript

Andy:
Hello everyone and welcome to the Clearly Podcast, Episode 21 on Power BI Report Server, recorded on February 24, 2021. Today, we have Shailan, Tom, and myself, Andy. We will discuss Power BI Report Server, its deployment, its differences from Power BI Service, and its use cases. Hey, guys, how are we doing?

Shailan:
We're good.

Tom:
Very good, thanks. How are you?

Andy:
Good, good. Yes, I'm doing very well. Houston has come out of the Arctic temperatures, and normal service has resumed. Let's get started. So, today we are discussing Power BI Report Server, an on-premise platform available through Power BI Premium or SQL Enterprise with Software Assurance. Tom, can you explain the licensing requirements?

Tom:
Sure. You need SQL Enterprise with Software Assurance. Just having SQL Enterprise alone is not enough; the software assurance part is key.

Andy:
Great. Shailan, can you talk about why someone would deploy Power BI Report Server?

Shailan:
Sure. Many organizations have SQL Enterprise with Software Assurance and may not be aware they can use Power BI Report Server. It's ideal for those who don't want to share their data in an external cloud due to security concerns. For example, we've implemented it in defense sectors where data sensitivity is critical.

Andy:
So, it's mainly about data sensitivity and security?

Tom:
Yes, and regulatory requirements that prevent data from being stored outside an organization's infrastructure. But remember, Power BI Report Server has limitations, which might make it less attractive unless there's a strong need to keep data on-premise.

Andy:
What are some of these limitations?

Tom:
Power BI Report Server is more akin to SQL Server Reporting Services than the full Power BI experience. It allows you to store and serve Power BI reports internally but lacks features like creating dashboards from multiple reports, which you can do in the Power BI cloud service.

Shailan:
Yes, and there are different versions of Power BI Desktop for Report Server. The updates for Report Server are less frequent—three times a year compared to the monthly updates for Power BI Service.

Andy:
What's the administrative experience like for Power BI Report Server?

Tom:
You need to manage the entire SQL Server box, including system and database backups, security patches, and network infrastructure. It's more work compared to the cloud service, which handles most of these aspects.

Andy:
So, you need a good reason to choose Power BI Report Server due to the overheads involved.

Tom:
Exactly. It can cost as much as Power BI Premium plus the additional infrastructure and management costs.

Andy:
What about the user experience if you have both on-premise and cloud services?

Shailan:
It's similar but not seamless. Users will have separate links for on-premise and cloud reports, and some features like workspaces are not available in the on-premise version.

Andy:
Do you see this technology going away over time?

Tom:
Not completely. There will still be use cases, like in highly regulated environments or remote locations without reliable internet. However, the need for on-premise infrastructure is diminishing as cloud security improves.

Shailan:
Yes, it's similar to SQL Server; you can host it on-premise or in the cloud. The choice depends on your specific needs.

Andy:
Are there any advantages of using Power BI Report Server, like model size or refresh rates?

Tom:
There might be some advantages in specific scenarios, like having the source database on the same machine as the report server for faster data access. But generally, the cloud can offer similar performance for similar costs.

Andy:
Let's wrap up with some use cases and limitations.

Tom:
Power BI Report Server is useful where you need to keep data on-premise due to regulatory reasons or lack of reliable internet. However, it lacks features like R script support, full-screen mode, many-to-many relationships, quick insights, and dashboarding, which are available in the Power BI cloud service.

Shailan:
Also, you can't create reports in a browser, only in Power BI Desktop. The release cycle is slower, and it's often a few iterations behind the cloud service.

Andy:
Despite its limitations, Power BI Report Server has its place for specific use cases. Thanks for the great discussion, everyone. We'll end on a positive note, and for more information, visit clearlycloudy.co.uk for the UK and Europe and clearlysolutions.net for North America. Our next episode on March 29, 2021, will cover migrating from Excel to Power BI. Stay safe and have a great week!

Tom:
Thanks, Andy. Goodbye.

Shailan:
Thanks.

Andy:
Goodbye, everyone.