Microsoft Power BI CLI

The Paradime SDK provides CLI commands to interact with Microsoft Power BI, allowing you to trigger dataset refreshes and list available datasets with real-time monitoring capabilities.

🔑 Azure AD Application Required

You will need an Azure AD application with Power BI API permissions to use these commands. You can create and configure them in your Azure portal. See our docs here.

Configure Power BI API permissions

Add the Dataset.ReadWrite.All application permission for the Power BI Service.

Refresh Power BI Datasets

Trigger refreshes for one or more Power BI datasets with parallel execution and comprehensive status reporting.

CLI Command

paradime run power-bi-refresh

Options

Flag

Type

Description

--dataset-name

Required, TEXT (multiple)

The name of the Power BI dataset(s) you want to refresh. Can specify multiple datasets by repeating the flag.

--client-id

Required, TEXT

Your Azure AD application client ID. Can be set via POWER_BI_CLIENT_ID environment variable.

--client-secret

Required, TEXT

Your Azure AD application client secret. Can be set via POWER_BI_CLIENT_SECRET environment variable.

--tenant-id

Required, TEXT

Your Azure AD tenant ID. Can be set via POWER_BI_TENANT_ID environment variable.

--group-id

Required, TEXT

The Power BI workspace group ID. Can be set via POWER_BI_GROUP_ID environment variable.

--refresh-request-body-b64

Optional, TEXT

Base64 encoded JSON string for refresh parameters. Can be set via POWER_BI_REFRESH_REQUEST_BODY_B64 environment variable.

Recommended Setup

For security and convenience, set your Power BI credentials as environment variables:

POWER_BI_CLIENT_ID="your_client_id"
POWER_BI_CLIENT_SECRET="your_client_secret"
POWER_BI_TENANT_ID="your_tenant_id"
POWER_BI_GROUP_ID="your_workspace_group_id"

Dataset Refresh Examples

Refresh a single dataset

# Using environment variables (recommended)
paradime run power-bi-refresh --dataset-name "Sales Dashboard"

# Or with explicit flags
paradime run power-bi-refresh \
  --client-id "your_client_id" \
  --client-secret "your_client_secret" \
  --tenant-id "your_tenant_id" \
  --group-id "your_group_id" \
  --dataset-name "Sales Dashboard"

Refresh multiple datasets in parallel

# Using environment variables (recommended)
paradime run power-bi-refresh \
  --dataset-name "Sales Dashboard" \
  --dataset-name "Marketing Analytics" \
  --dataset-name "Financial Reports"

# Or with explicit flags
paradime run power-bi-refresh \
  --client-id "your_client_id" \
  --client-secret "your_client_secret" \
  --tenant-id "your_tenant_id" \
  --group-id "your_group_id" \
  --dataset-name "Sales Dashboard" \
  --dataset-name "Marketing Analytics" \
  --dataset-name "Financial Reports"

Refresh with custom parameters

# Refresh with specific partition or table refresh
export POWER_BI_REFRESH_REQUEST_BODY_B64='eyJ0eXBlIjoiZnVsbCIsImNvbW1pdE1vZGUiOiJ0cmFuc2FjdGlvbmFsIiwibWF4UGFyYWxsZWxpc20iOjJ9'

paradime run power-bi-refresh \
  --dataset-name "Large Dataset" \
  --refresh-request-body-b64 "$POWER_BI_REFRESH_REQUEST_BODY_B64"

Sample Output

Power BI refresh started in group 7a76b78b-0000-4cec-8202-648224ab54e2...
2025-09-11 13:36:50,962 - Refreshing Power BI dataset: 0dfed4be-45fjf-4e83-90d7-497dcbefdc5f

List Power BI Datasets

List all available Power BI datasets in a workspace with their IDs, names, and refresh status.

CLI Command

paradime run power-bi-list-datasets

Options

Flag

Type

Description

--client-id

Required, TEXT

Your Azure AD application client ID. Can be set via POWER_BI_CLIENT_ID environment variable.

--client-secret

Required, TEXT

Your Azure AD application client secret. Can be set via POWER_BI_CLIENT_SECRET environment variable.

--tenant-id

Required, TEXT

Your Azure AD tenant ID. Can be set via POWER_BI_TENANT_ID environment variable.

--group-id

Required, TEXT

The Power BI workspace group ID. Can be set via POWER_BI_GROUP_ID environment variable.

Usage Examples

# List all datasets (using environment variables)
paradime run power-bi-list-datasets

# With explicit credentials
paradime run power-bi-list-datasets \
  --client-id "your_client_id" \
  --client-secret "your_client_secret" \
  --tenant-id "your_tenant_id" \
  --group-id "your_group_id"

Sample Output

Power BI refresh started in group 7a76b78b-0000-4cec-8202-648224ab54e2...
2025-09-11 13:36:50,962 - Refreshing Power BI dataset: 0dfed4be-45fjf-4e83-90d7-497dcbefdc5f

Dataset Status Reference

Understanding the refresh capabilities and status indicators:

Refresh States

✅ Refreshable: Dataset can be refreshed programmatically
❌ Not Refreshable: Dataset cannot be refreshed (e.g., streaming datasets, live connections)

Important Notes

Parallel Execution: Multiple datasets refresh simultaneously for efficiency
Authentication: Uses Azure AD service principal authentication
Workspace Permissions: Service principal must have workspace access
Refresh Limits: Subject to Power BI capacity and refresh quotas
Timeout Handling: Individual dataset refreshes timeout after 60 seconds for triggering
Dataset Identification: Use exact dataset names from your Power BI workspace

Environment Variable Reference

Environment Variable

Description

POWER_BI_CLIENT_ID

Azure AD application client ID

POWER_BI_CLIENT_SECRET

Azure AD application client secret

POWER_BI_TENANT_ID

Azure AD tenant ID

POWER_BI_GROUP_ID

Power BI workspace group ID

POWER_BI_REFRESH_REQUEST_BODY_B64

Base64 encoded refresh parameters (optional)

Troubleshooting

Authentication Errors

Ensure your Azure AD application has proper permissions:

# Check if credentials are valid by listing datasets first
paradime run power-bi-list-datasets

Dataset Not Found

Use the list command to find exact dataset names:

paradime run power-bi-list-datasets

Insufficient Permissions

Service principal needs at least "Contributor" role in the Power BI workspace.

Non-Refreshable Datasets

Some dataset types cannot be refreshed via API. Check the dataset type in Power BI service.

Workflow Integration

These Microsoft Power BI CLI commands are designed to integrate seamlessly into your data pipeline workflows. Common use cases include:

Post-dbt Refresh: Trigger Microsoft Power BI refreshes after dbt model runs complete
Scheduled Data Updates: Automate regular refresh cycles for critical dashboards
CI/CD Integration: Include Microsoft Power BI refreshes in your deployment pipelines
Resource Discovery: Use list commands to programmatically discover available workbooks and data sources

For more information about integrating Tableau refreshes into your Paradime workflows, see the Bolt Schedules documentation.

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