How SummitView Connects to Power BI
Two flexible connection options to match your security requirements and monitoring needs.
Two Ways to Connect
Choose the setup that fits your needs — or use both for maximum visibility.
Both options are fully supported — the agent simply unlocks deeper insight where Power BI APIs are limited.
Why teams install the agent
Cloud Connect
Service Principal
Connect directly via Azure AD Service Principal. No software to install — SummitView collects data automatically from the cloud.
Power BI Pro behavior
Cloud Connect can detect when a refresh is triggered, but Power BI may not expose confirmed completion status for Pro workspaces.
Solution: Install the Windows Agent for reliable refresh completion status on Pro workspaces.
Windows Agent
Lightweight Service
Install a lightweight Windows service for advanced monitoring capabilities and reliable refresh status for all license types.
Pro Workspaces Supported
The agent provides reliable refresh status for Pro workspaces where Cloud Connect shows "unknown".
Lightweight Windows service. No inbound connections.
Works with all Power BI licenses
SummitView adapts to your Power BI license — from Pro to Fabric — unlocking deeper observability as your environment grows.
Power BI Pro
Entry-level visibility
- Workspace & dataset inventory
- Usage analytics with unlimited history
- Refresh trigger detection
- Alerts for failures and anomalies
- AI-powered analysis (BYOK)
•Refresh completion timing limited by Power BI APIs
•Per-table timing and row counts not available (XMLA required)
Ideal for teams getting started or monitoring smaller environments.
Premium Per User (PPU)
Full dataset-level visibility
- Everything in Pro, plus:
- Confirmed refresh completion
- Per-table refresh timing (DMV-based)
- Row count tracking and anomaly detection
- Deeper performance insights
Most popular choice for teams that depend on refresh reliability.
Premium / Fabric
Enterprise-grade observability
- Everything in PPU, plus:
- Millisecond-accurate timing via XMLA trace events
- Processing phase breakdown (load, process, commit)
- Capacity metrics (CPU, memory, throttling)
- Advanced query-level diagnostics
Maximum visibility for large-scale or mission-critical deployments.
Using Power BI Pro?
SummitView fully supports Power BI Pro. Some advanced metrics — such as per-table timing and row count tracking — require XMLA endpoint access, which is available in PPU, Premium, and Fabric.
Recommended: Install the Windows Agent for the most reliable refresh status on Pro, or upgrade to PPU for deeper dataset insights.
Features by License Type
What you get with each connection method and Power BI license.
| Feature | Cloud Connect Only | With Agent | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pro | PPU/Premium/Fabric | Pro | PPU/Premium/Fabric | |
| Workspace Inventory | ||||
| Usage Analytics | ||||
| Refresh Status Success/failure tracking | Not exposed by PBI | |||
| Per-Table Timing See which tables are slow | ||||
| Row Count Tracking Anomaly detection | ||||
| Processing Timeline Visual Gantt chart | ||||
| Capacity Metrics CPU, memory, throttling | ||||
| Missing Refresh Detection | ||||
| Scheduling & Collision Detection | ||||
| Governance Editor | ||||
| Health Score Dashboard | ||||
| Consumer Portal | ||||
Workspace Inventory
Cloud Connect
With Agent
Usage Analytics
Cloud Connect
With Agent
Refresh Status
Success/failure tracking
Cloud Connect
With Agent
Per-Table Timing
See which tables are slow
Cloud Connect
With Agent
Row Count Tracking
Anomaly detection
Cloud Connect
With Agent
Processing Timeline
Visual Gantt chart
Cloud Connect
With Agent
Capacity Metrics
CPU, memory, throttling
Cloud Connect
With Agent
Missing Refresh Detection
Cloud Connect
With Agent
Scheduling & Collision Detection
Cloud Connect
With Agent
Governance Editor
Cloud Connect
With Agent
Health Score Dashboard
Cloud Connect
With Agent
Consumer Portal
Cloud Connect
With Agent
Using Power BI Pro Workspaces?
SummitView fully supports Power BI Pro. Some advanced metrics — such as per-table timing and row count tracking — require XMLA endpoint access, which is available in PPU, Premium, and Fabric. Many teams start with Cloud Connect and add the agent later as monitoring needs grow.
For reliable refresh completion status on Pro workspaces, we recommend installing the Windows Agent. Cloud Connect can detect refresh triggers but cannot confirm completion for Pro due to Power BI API limitations.
Which Setup is Right for You?
Quick Start
Just want to get started quickly? PPU/Premium/Fabric workspaces only?
Pro Workspace Refresh Monitoring
Need reliable refresh status for Power BI Pro workspaces?
Full Visibility
Want per-table timing, row counts, and complete monitoring for PPU/Premium/Fabric?
How Data Flows
SummitView collects metadata only — never your actual business data.
Your Environment
Power BI Service
Workspaces, Datasets, Reports
Agent (Optional)
Windows Service
HTTPS Only
Metadata Only
SummitView Cloud
Dashboard
summitview.app
Analytics & Alerts
Teams, Slack, Email