Purpose
The purpose of this investigation was to identify a way to embed a Power BI report into the ROFS web app. The potential routes are as follows ; 1. Directly embed the report 2.Embed the report using an API
Findings
Directly embed the report:
https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/power-bi/collaborate-share/service-embed-secure
Power BI has a built in option to embed a report into a website. This option generates a ‘iFrame’ html component, with the desired report set as the ‘src’ property. This is supposed to be a low code solution to enable users to access a report, but with limitations.
Pros:
-Very lightweight, small coding change required
-Authentication is handled by report owner, nothing for us to manage
Cons:
-Limited actions, i.e user can only read and interact with report but cannot make edits even if they are authorized
-User have to click “Sign In” before accessing the report
Embed the report using an API
https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/rest/api/power-bi/
Power BI has a REST API that can be consumed for a multitude of uses , including working with reports. Although the setup is more heavy than the low code embed option, it allows users to do alot more.
Pros:
-Extensive capabilities, allows users to do almost anything that they can do directly from the PowerBI page, including editing reports.
-Smoother sign on experience, users wont have to click “Sign in” on the PowerBi report
Cons:
-Authentication/authorization is handled on our side, which means alot more configuration and maintenance. We also need cloud team assistance when setting the ‘Api permissions' within our app registration, this has proven to cause delays in the past.