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UPN changing when adding external user to BI workspace

Admin Tom (Global) 0 Reputation points
2024-05-06T10:58:53.2766667+00:00

Hi all - I am company admin.

I have an external user added with a guest account in our azure tenant.

What is happening is when I search for the user in power BI workspace - to give them access - they appear with the correct syncronised UPN for example: Username: Joe.Bloggs and email: Joe.Bloggs_usersdomain.com#EXT#@mydomain.onmicrosoft.com - however when the workspace is refreshed it changes to Username: Joe Bloggs and email: Joe.Bloggs@userdomain.com

There is nothing conflicting in the our entra. Also - I have tested user end and when I add the user initially it works - but once the Workspace is refreshed and it shows as Joe.Bloggs@userdomain.com it no longer works. User licensed with a BI pro license.

Any ideas? Something their end? Are they accessing the BI workspace incorrectly thus populating the wrong UPN and resulting in failed access to the BI reports?

Many thanks.

T-admin

Microsoft Entra ID
Microsoft Entra ID
A Microsoft Entra identity service that provides identity management and access control capabilities. Replaces Azure Active Directory.
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  1. Akhilesh 5,560 Reputation points Microsoft Vendor
    2024-05-09T12:02:36.9433333+00:00

    Hi @Admin Tom (Global)

    Thank you for reaching out to us!

    I understand your query when you search for the user in power BI workspace it appears with the correct synchronized UPN and email. However, when the workspace is refreshed it changes to Username: Joe Bloggs and email: Joe.Bloggs@userdomain.com.

    Could you please check external user's UPN is changing in the Entra ID (AAD) or only in the Power BI workspace.

    In Power BI, user identities are managed through Entra ID (Azure AD).

    When a user is added to a Power BI workspace, their identity is verified through Entra ID . The user's identity is represented by a User Principal Name (UPN), which is a unique identifier for the user in Entra ID. The UPN is typically in the format of an email address, such as "joe.bloggs@mycompany.com".

    During a workspace refresh, Power BI queries the underlying data sources to update the information in the workspace. If the UPN is not explicitly defined in the data source, Power BI might default to using the email address as the identifier for the user. This is because email addresses are often used interchangeably with UPNs in Entra ID.

    For example, if a user's UPN is "joe.bloggs#EXT#@mycompany.onmicrosoft.com", but the data source does not include this UPN, Power BI might default to using the user's email address, such as "joe.bloggs@userdomain.com", as the identifier for the user during the refresh process.

    This behavior can cause issues with user access to the workspace if the user's email address is not recognized as a valid identifier for the user. To avoid this issue, it is recommended to explicitly define the UPN for each user in the data source, or to ensure that the user's email address is recognized as a valid identifier for the user in Entra ID.

    The other side review the Entra ID sign-in logs and Power BI audit logs for any failed authentication attempts or errors related to this user.

    Hope this helps. Do let us know if you any further queries.

    Thanks,

    Akhilesh.

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