Power BI - No page to enter SQL Server credentials when connecting - Here is the reason

Have you experienced that Power BI just connects with your SQL Server without requesting your login credentials? Or you might need to connect with your SQL Server using someone else credentials but Power BI continues to the next page without prompting the page related to credentials.

This is not a bug or issue, this is because of the cache maintained by Power BI Desktop.

When I try to connect with my SQL Server using Power BI Desktop, I get the initial page where I can enter server name and database name. But when I click on OK, it straightaway opens the page for table selection instead of showing the page related to authentication.

I know that this happens because I have connected to the same server before and my connection is cached. What if I want to connect the same using a different account?

Clearing the data source cache

It is possible to clear the saved information related to previously connected sources. You can open this setting using File menu -> Options and settings -> Data source settings. This page shows all connections you have made previously; Data sources in current file shows all connections you have made with opened file and Global permissions shows all connections you have made with all files

You can clear cached permissions by selecting the connection and clicking Clear Permissions. Once cleared, you should see the page that requests credentials for connecting with the source.

SQL Server Brain Basher of the Week #039 - SSRS

This week's Interview question is based on SQL Server Reporting Services. Just like other applications hosted, Reporting Services requires authentication and it needs to handle all authentication requests. Now the question is;

Which component Reporting Services uses for handling authentication?

1. Internet Information Services (IIS)
2. SQL Server Reporting Services itself
3. SQL Server Database Engine
4. Domain or machine configured

Answer is simple, starting from SQL Server 2008, Reporting Services started using its own internal components for handling authentication, not by IIS. IIS was used only be Reporting Services 2005, hence the answer is (2).