How to Install and Configure Power BI Monitor for Business Central

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Managing Power BI resources directly from Business Central is now easier than ever with the Power BI Monitor extension. In this guide, I’ll walk you through the complete installation and configuration process, from Azure AD setup to your first data refresh.

What You’ll Need

Before we begin, make sure you have:

  • Business Central version 25.0 or later
  • Power BI Pro license (required for API access)
  • Azure AD admin access to register applications
  • Power BI workspace access to the content you want to monitor

Part 1: Azure AD Application Setup

The Power BI Monitor extension uses OAuth 2.0 authentication, which means we need to register an application in Azure AD. Don’t worry—it’s simpler than it sounds!

Step 1: Register Your Application

  1. Navigate to the Azure Portal
  2. Go to Azure Active Directory > App registrations
  3. Click New registration
  4. Configure your app:
    • Name: “Business Central Power BI Monitor” (or your preferred name)
    • Account type: Select “Accounts in this organizational directory only”
    • Redirect URI: Leave blank for now
  5. Click Register

Once created, you’ll see your application’s overview page. Keep this page open—you’ll need information from it later.

Step 2: Add API Permissions

This is where we tell Azure what the application is allowed to do. Power BI Monitor needs specific permissions to read and refresh your Power BI resources.

  1. In your app registration, click API permissions in the left menu
  2. Click Add a permission
  3. Select Power BI Service
  4. Choose Application permissions (not Delegated)
  5. Add the following permissions:
    • Dataset.Read.All – Read dataset information
    • Dataset.ReadWrite.All – Trigger dataset refreshes
    • Dataflow.Read.All – Read dataflow information
    • Dataflow.ReadWrite.All – Trigger dataflow refreshes
    • Workspace.Read.All – Access workspace details
    • Tenant.Read.All – Read tenant information
  6. Click Add permissions
  7. Important: Click Grant admin consent for [Your Organization]
    • You need to be an Azure AD admin to do this
    • This step is crucial—the extension won’t work without it

Step 3: Create a Client Secret

Think of this as the password for your application.

  1. Click Certificates & secrets in the left menu
  2. Under Client secrets, click New client secret
  3. Add a description: “Power BI Monitor Secret”
  4. Choose an expiration period:
    • 6 months, 12 months, or 24 months (choose based on your organization’s policy)
    • Set a calendar reminder before expiration—you’ll need to create a new secret when it expires
  5. Click Add
  6. Immediately copy the secret Value (not the Secret ID)
    • You can only see this once!
    • If you miss it, you’ll need to create a new secret

Step 4: Gather Your Configuration Details

Before leaving Azure, collect these three pieces of information from your app’s Overview page:

  • Application (client) ID: A GUID like 12345678-1234-1234-1234-123456789abc
  • Directory (tenant) ID: Another GUID from the same page
  • Client Secret: The value you copied in Step 3

Keep these safe—you’ll need them in the next section.

Part 2: Installing the Power BI Monitor Extension

Download and Install

  1. Download the Power BI Monitor .app file
  2. In Business Central, search for Extension Management
  3. Click Upload Extension
  4. Select the downloaded .app file
  5. Click Deploy
  6. Wait for the installation to complete
  7. Refresh your browser or Business Central client

The extension is now installed! Let’s configure it.

Part 3: Configuration in Business Central

You have two options for setup: a guided wizard (recommended for first-time users) or manual setup (for those who prefer direct configuration).

Option A: Guided Setup Wizard (Recommended)

The easiest way to get started is with the built-in setup wizard.

  1. In Business Central, search for Assisted Setup
  2. Find and click Power BI Monitor Setup
  3. The wizard will guide you through:
    • Welcome: Overview of what you’re setting up
    • Azure AD Configuration: Enter your Client ID, Client Secret, and Tenant ID
    • API Endpoints: Pre-filled with standard values (usually no changes needed)
    • Test Connection: Verifies your configuration works
    • Completion: Summary and next steps
  4. Click Next through each step, entering your information from Part 1
  5. On the Test Connection step, click Test to verify everything works
  6. If successful, click Finish

Option B: Manual Configuration

If you prefer direct configuration:

  1. Search for Power BI Setup in Business Central
  2. Fill in these fields:
    • Client ID: Your Application (client) ID from Azure
    • Client Secret: The secret value you created
    • Tenant ID: Your Directory (tenant) ID
    • Authority URL: https://login.microsoftonline.com/
    • Power BI API URL: https://api.powerbi.com/v1.0/myorg/
  3. Enable Auto Sync if you want automatic synchronization (recommended)
  4. Set Sync Frequency (if Auto Sync is enabled): How often to sync with Power BI (in minutes)

Testing Your Configuration

After setup, verify everything works:

  1. In the Power BI Setup page, click Actions > Test Connection
  2. You should see a success message
  3. If you get an error:
    • Double-check your Client ID and Tenant ID (no extra spaces)
    • Verify admin consent was granted in Azure
    • Confirm the client secret hasn’t expired
    • Check that all API permissions were added

Part 4: Initial Synchronization

Now that configuration is complete, let’s sync your Power BI content into Business Central.

Sync Your Workspaces

  1. Search for Power BI Workspaces
  2. Click Actions > Refresh > Refresh All Workspaces
  3. Wait a few seconds—you’ll see a confirmation message
  4. Your Power BI workspaces now appear in the list

Sync Datasets and Dataflows

After workspaces are synced:

  1. For Datasets:
    • Search for Power BI Datasets
    • Click Actions > Refresh > Refresh All Datasets
    • All datasets from your synced workspaces appear
  2. For Dataflows:
    • Search for Power BI Dataflows
    • Click Actions > Refresh > Refresh All Dataflows
    • All dataflows are now visible

What Gets Synced?

The synchronization pulls this information from Power BI:

  • Workspaces: Name, ID, type, and access level
  • Datasets: Name, configured source, refresh status, and last refresh time
  • Dataflows: Name, description, and refresh status
  • Refresh History: Past refresh operations and their outcomes

Part 5: Your First Power BI Refresh

Let’s trigger a refresh to see everything in action.

Refresh a Single Dataset

  1. Go to Power BI Datasets
  2. Find a dataset you want to refresh
  3. Click on it to open the card
  4. Click Actions > Refresh > Refresh Dataset
  5. Confirm when prompted
  6. Watch the Refresh Status field update to “In Progress”
  7. After a moment, click Actions > Refresh Page to see the updated status

Refresh Multiple Datasets

You can refresh several datasets at once:

  1. In Power BI Datasets, select multiple rows (use Ctrl+Click)
  2. Click Actions > Refresh > Refresh Selected Datasets
  3. You’ll see a summary of how many were queued
  4. Only refreshable datasets are processed—others are skipped

View Refresh History

To see how the refresh went:

  1. From a dataset card, click Related > Refresh History
  2. You’ll see all refresh operations for that dataset
  3. Check the Status column: Success or Failed
  4. For failed refreshes, click Related > Error Details to troubleshoot

Part 6: Exploring the Power BI Monitor Role Center

The extension includes a dedicated Role Center for Power BI management.

Access the Role Center

  1. Click your profile icon in the top right
  2. Select My Settings
  3. Change your Role Center to Power BI Monitor
  4. The page refreshes with your new dashboard

What’s in the Role Center?

  • Quick Statistics: Workspace count, dataset count, recent errors
  • Recent Refresh Activity: Latest refresh operations across all resources
  • Error Summary: Failed refreshes from the last 7 days
  • Quick Links: Direct access to workspaces, datasets, and dataflows
  • Actions: Common operations like Refresh All and View Errors

Part 7: Monitoring and Error Management

Error Overview Dashboard

One of the most valuable features is the error monitoring dashboard:

  1. Search for Power BI Errors
  2. You’ll see:
    • 30-Day Error Statistics: Count of errors for each resource
    • Recent Errors: Last 7 days summary
    • Most Recent Error: When the last error occurred
  3. Click any error count to drill down into details
  4. From the error details, you can navigate to the resource to investigate

Setting Up Automatic Sync

Keep your data fresh without manual intervention:

  1. Go to Power BI Setup
  2. Enable Auto Sync
  3. Set Sync Frequency (e.g., 60 minutes)
  4. Click OK

Now Business Central automatically syncs with Power BI at your specified interval.

Troubleshooting Common Issues

“Authentication Failed”

  • Check: Client ID and Tenant ID are correct (no spaces)
  • Verify: Client secret hasn’t expired
  • Confirm: Admin consent was granted for all API permissions

“Access Denied” for Workspaces

  • Ensure: Your service principal has access to the workspaces
  • Check: Workspace permissions in Power BI portal
  • Verify: All required API permissions were added

Refresh History Not Showing

  • Wait: Initial sync can take a few minutes
  • Try: Click Refresh Page to update the view
  • Check: The dataset has actually been refreshed at least once

Client Secret Expired

  1. Go back to Azure Portal
  2. Create a new client secret
  3. Copy the new secret value
  4. Update it in Power BI Setup in Business Central
  5. Test the connection

Best Practices

Security

  • Rotate secrets regularly: Set calendar reminders before expiration
  • Limit permissions: Only grant necessary API permissions
  • Audit access: Regularly review who has access to the setup page

Performance

  • Batch refreshes: Use bulk refresh for multiple datasets instead of individual refreshes
  • Schedule wisely: Sync during off-peak hours if possible
  • Monitor errors: Check the error dashboard weekly to catch issues early

Maintenance

  • Review failed refreshes: Investigate errors promptly to prevent data staleness
  • Clean old history: Archive or delete very old refresh history if needed
  • Update permissions: Keep workspace access current as team members change

Next Steps

Now that you’re set up, explore these features:

  1. Create custom views: Filter datasets by workspace or refresh status
  2. Set up notifications: Monitor the error dashboard for critical failures
  3. Analyze trends: Use refresh history to identify performance patterns
  4. Automate workflows: Combine with BC job queues for advanced scenarios

Conclusion

You now have Power BI Monitor fully installed and configured! You can monitor all your Power BI resources from Business Central, trigger refreshes with a click, and track errors proactively.

The extension gives you a centralized command center for Power BI management, reducing context switching and improving your team’s efficiency.

Questions or issues? Check the full documentation or open an issue on GitHub.

Happy monitoring! 🚀

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