Row-level security

Intermediate DAX in Power BI

Carl Rosseel

Curriculum Manager

What is row-level security?

Row-level security (RLS) in Power BI can be used to restrict data access for given users:

Way to restrict data access for the logged in user
You can define roles and rules with Power BI desktop
A dashboard could look completely different depending on the person accessing it

Row-Level Security (RLS) uses filters to restrict data at the row level

Region = East

Row-Level Security (RLS) uses filters to restrict data at the row level

Region = East

Name	Total Sales	Region
Jenny	48,431	East
Thomas	52,125	East

Row-level security has multiple use cases:
- User access requirements based on role (such as sales)
- Restricting access requirements for a specific user or group of users
- User wants specific/filtered data presented (such as a customer)

Row-Level Security has multiple use cases:
- User access requirements based on role (such as sales)
- Restricting access requirements for a specific user
- User wants specific/filtered data presented (such as a customer)
Switzerland Sales dashboard

Row-Level Security has multiple use cases:
- User access requirements based on role (such as sales)
- Restricting access requirements for a specific user or group of users
- User wants specific/filtered data presented (such as a customer)
Non sales dashboard

Blank dashboard.png

Row-Level Security has multiple use cases:
- User access requirements based on role (such as sales)
- Restricting access requirements for a specific user or group of users
- User wants specific/filtered data presented (such as a customer)
General Manager

General Manager View.png

Row-level security utilizes DAX to:

Ensures users only see the information appropriate for their roles

DAX has two main functions to enable this:

USERPRINCIPALNAME()
- Returns the user principal name (UPN), which is equal to the email address
- Gives the same result in Power BI Desktop and Power BI Service
- Preferred method
USERNAME()
- Alternative method to enable RLS with its own use cases
- Outside the scope of this course

You can use these functions to create personalized dashboards!

Intermediate DAX in Power BI