Microsoft has introduced a new Fabric REST API for Power BI that allows developers to bind or unbind semantic model connections programmatically. This new capability streamlines how data sources are managed, improving flexibility and automation for Power BI semantic models.
Here’s a quick overview of the 5 key steps to use the API:
Step 1: Check existing connections
Use the “List Item Connections” endpoint to retrieve the current data source references for your semantic model. This gives you a baseline of what the model is binding to currently.
Step 2: View available connections
Use the “List Connections” endpoint to retrieve all available connection objects in your environment. This helps you understand the universe of connection options available for binding.
Step 3: Select or create a connection
Match one of the connections from step 2 with the item connection from step 1 (or create a new connection if needed). Note the connection id, connectivity type, and target environment. If no matching connection exists, create one.
Step 4: Build your binding payload
Construct the JSON body that will define the binding. Typical fields include connectivityType, connectionDetails, and the objectId of the connection to bind. If you want to use default settings or disconnect, you’d set connectivityType to “Automatic” or “None”.
Step 5: Send the binding request
Make the request for each data source reference your semantic model uses. If the model has multiple data sources, each one must be bound individually. This completes the binding process, enabling automation of environment migrations, infrastructure changes, or connection updates.
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