Ah - 'Setting up PowerBI Report Server SPN's for PowerBI and SQL to help securely communicate and authenticate. — Ah – ‘Setting up PowerBI Report Server SPN’s for PowerBI and SQL to help securely communicate and authenticate.

‘Setting up PowerBI Report Server SPN’ in hybrid environments when the PowerBI cloud service is not <yet> an option in an organization. This article will go through SPN commands, to secure via Kerberos authentication and/or smart card usage for Security requirements (i.e. STIG, CCRI, SOX, HIPAA, PCI, Security Scans, <insert other regulatory requirements here>). Lastly, PowerBI Report Server can be setup to run parallel to SSRS SQL instance. Refer to SPN commands below which helped me setup SmartCards authentication based on SPN setup.

Find/replace

DOMAIN

POWERBIREPORTSERVER

FQDN

svc.PowerBI.scomda

svc.PowerBI.scomdr

SPN commands to set up SQL & PowerBI

Create SPN for PowerBI Report Server

# RE: PBIRS SPN’s
SetSPN -s “MSSQLSvc/POWERBIREPORTSERVER.FQDN” “DOMAIN\svc.PowerBI.scomda”
SetSPN -s “MSSQLSvc/POWERBIREPORTSERVER” “DOMAIN\svc.PowerBI.scomda”

Create PowerBi Report Server SPN’s for OLAP

# PBIRS & MSSQL
# Remove the SPN’s for SQL on Report Server
setspn -d MSOLAPSvc.3/POWERBIREPORTSERVER POWERBIREPORTSERVER
setspn -d MSOLAPSvc.3/POWERBIREPORTSERVER.FQDN POWERBIREPORTSERVER

Create PowerBI Report Server SPN for service/gMSA account

setspn -d HTTP/POWERBIREPORTSERVER.FQDN:443 DOMAIN\svc.PowerBI.scomdr
setspn -d HTTP/POWERBIREPORTSERVER:443 DOMAIN\svc.PowerBI.scomdr

Create SQL SPN’s for SSRS reporting

SetSPN -s “MSSQLSvc/POWERBIREPORTSERVER.FQDN” “DOMAIN\svc.PowerBI.scomda”
SetSPN -s “MSSQLSvc/POWERBIREPORTSERVER” “DOMAIN\svc.PowerBI.scomda”

Create SQL HTTP SPN’s for SSRS reporting

setspn -s HTTP/reports.FQDN DOMAIN\svc.PowerBI.scomdr
setspn -s HTTP/reports DOMAIN\svc.PowerBI.scomdr

Lastly, test authentications to PowerBI server…

Verify PBIRS (PowerBI Report Server) log file for ReportServerService_HTTP_ entries after successful auth

File PATH = D:\Program Files\Microsoft Power BI Report Server\PBIRS\LogFiles

Documentation

PowerBI with Service Principal https://powerbi.microsoft.com/en-us/blog/use-power-bi-api-with-service-principal-preview/

Configure Kerberos SSO https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/power-bi/connect-data/service-gateway-sso-kerberos

PowerPoint soft skills headshot

Do you have expert PowerPoint soft skills? Are you an expert presenter? I’ll bet there’s at least one item here you might not know. Fortunate to have spent some time learning from Asia Platt, Brittany Holloway, and Mauricio Fuentes about expert presentations. Let’s go over some tips and tools to improve what you present, for more interaction, clarity, and more.

Quick Overview

Magnification tools like Magnifier, ZoomIt, and Teams

Laser pointer in PowerPoint

Rehearse and record PPT slide deck

Soft Skills tips and tricks

Magnification tools

Zoom – Can you see this?

Various methods for Zooming (including Teams)

Do you struggle with demo’s to present screens that customers struggle to view? See some magnifier tool options from windows client/server, teams, and PowerPoint below.

Magnifier (on Windows client/servers)

Click on Start > type Magnifier

Change zoom level

Move mouse to focal point

BE careful and don’t move mouse too much!!

ZoomIt

Good utility for demo’s and presentations. Zoom, draw, whiteboard, type pen (in colors), and more

ZoomIt SysInternals free tool download https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/sysinternals/downloads/zoomit

Shortcuts link

Teams built in Zoom

My own personal preference is Teams. Demo’s can work in a pinch if only Magnifier is involved in a lab demo.

Zoom in/out of Teams shared application/screen https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/office/zoom-in-and-out-in-microsoft-teams-dc3cd3d8-efb5-4995-8b31-434b3943ba52

Use Teams features to zoom in and out, and more in meetings, calls, and screen shares.

Laser pointer in PowerPoint

Hit the Control Key to turn your mouse into a pointer, allowing your audience to know ‘what’ is being emphasized.

Click Control, or Control-L for Laser pointer when presenting in PowerPoint.

Rehearse with coach

Record PPT slide deck

Asia (Asha) suggested this method to record delivery for analysis. This helps check tone, pace, filler words, and more.

From PowerPoint, click on Slide Show > Rehearse with coach

PowerPoint Rehearse – record and get analysis from practicing your presentation.Go through presentation, and view analysis

PowerPoint rehearsal analytics showing pace, tone, and more.

Second page screenshot of more details

PowerPoint rehearsal analytics bottom half of screen.

Soft Skills tips and tricks

PowerPoints ‘Rehearse with Coach’ is an awesome way to practice and level set delivery.
Magnification tools – Magnifier, ZoomIt, Teams (built in Zoom)
Be creative and be yourself in delivery!

Be creative and be yourself in delivery.

3. Involvement

Involvement example

Interaction soft skill – personalization.

I utilized this to reinforce (from my introduction), as an audience check in, gauging involvement. This helped me gauge where the audience was attention wise. Required audience thought before answering.

Hope this article provided another tool in the Presentation Soft Skills toolbox!

Hope this gave another tool in the Presentation Soft Skills toolbox!