Question

Is it possible to extract Power BI metadata (e.g., dataset lineage) using Azure Data Factory?

I’m interested in understanding whether Power BI metadata, such as dataset lineage, can be extracted using Azure Data Factory. I’ve heard that integration between these tools is possible, but I’m unsure of the specific methods or limitations. Can you explain how this can be accomplished with practical examples?

Answer 1

Yes, you can extract typical metadata from Power BI, such as the lineage of datasets, using the Azure Data Factory (ADF) by connecting it to the Power BI REST API. Here is a brief overview of the process: 

Register an Azure AD application to enable ADF authentication for Power BI.
Create Web ADF activities to invoke the Power BI REST API endpoints, for example, 

GET /groups/{groupId}/datasets 

to fetch dataset metadata or lineage information.
Authenticate through OAuth2 with the service principal credentials (Tenant ID, Client ID, and Client Secret) to access the Power BI data.
Process and persist that metadata—perhaps in a data lake or database—using ADF pipeline activities. While it's possible to extract these basic dataset details and lineage, some form of multi-call API work is typically required to extract full lineage.

Comments

This is a solid high-level overview of using ADF and Power BI REST API for metadata extraction, though it’s worth noting that full lineage retrieval may require chaining multiple API calls.

Answer 2

Yes, Power BI metadata like dataset lineage can be extracted using Azure Data Factory by leveraging the Power BI REST API with Web activity and Azure Function or Logic Apps for orchestration.