✅ Power BI Report Server → Fabric Migration Assessment Checklist

Migrate Report Server to Fabric Checklist

This article provides a short migration assessment checklist to consider when migrating from on-premise Power BI Report Server to Fabric. Four key areas are considered e.g. Pre-Migration, Migration Readiness, Migration Execution, Post-Migration including key benefits and limitation considerations.

1. Pre-Migration Assessment

• Inventory Reports

  • Catalog all existing PBIRS reports (RDL, paginated, PBIX, mobile reports, KPIs).

  • Identify usage frequency and ownership.

• Data Sources

  • Document all data sources used (SQL Server, SSAS, Oracle, etc.).

  • Check compatibility with Fabric-supported connectors.

• Security & Governance

  • Record existing user roles, row-level security, and folder permissions.

  • Map to Fabric workspace roles and Microsoft Entra ID groups.

• Customisations & Extensions

  • Check for custom visuals, extensions, or code-behind logic.

  • Validate Fabric support.

• Infrastructure Dependencies

  • Review on-prem gateways currently in use.

  • Plan Fabric Data Gateway configuration if hybrid connectivity is required.

2. Migration Readiness

• Fabric Capacity

  • Ensure Fabric or Premium capacity is provisioned.

  • Evaluate required SKUs based on report complexity and data refresh needs.

• Licensing Impact

  • Assess differences: PBIRS (per-core licensing) vs Fabric (per-capacity or Power BI Pro/Premium licensing).

• Paginated Report Migration

  • Test migration of .rdl files to Fabric’s Paginated Reports.

• Dataset Migration

  • Rebuild legacy SSRS shared datasets as Fabric datasets or semantic models.

• Data Gateway Setup

  • Deploy On-premises Data Gateway for any local SQL/Oracle sources.

3. Migration Execution

• Migrate Paginated Reports

  • Upload RDL reports into Fabric Workspaces (Paginated Reports).

• Migrate Interactive Reports

  • Re-publish PBIX reports to Fabric (or Power BI Service).

• Validate Data Refresh

  • Reconfigure scheduled refreshes or DirectQuery connections.

• Security & Access

  • Apply role assignments, RLS, and workspace access controls.

• Testing & Validation

  • Compare report outputs between PBIRS and Fabric.

  • Validate performance benchmarks (load time, query duration).

4. Post-Migration

• Decommission PBIRS (if fully migrated).

• Training & Adoption

  • Educate report consumers on using Fabric workspaces, apps, and navigation.

• Monitoring & Optimization

  • Use Fabric admin metrics for refresh, usage, and capacity monitoring.

• Governance & Compliance

  • Apply Microsoft Purview sensitivity labels, DLP policies, and audit logs.

🌟 Key Benefits of Migrating to Fabric

• Unified Analytics Platform: Combines data integration, storage, transformation, and visualization in one SaaS solution.

• Cloud Scalability: No need to maintain on-prem server infrastructure.

• Seamless Collaboration: Workspaces, apps, and sharing integrated with Microsoft 365.

• Advanced Capabilities: AI/ML integration, Copilot support, real-time streaming, DirectLake mode.

• Improved Security & Governance: Entra ID integration, Purview policies, centralized monitoring.

• Reduced TCO: Elimination of server patching, upgrades, and on-premises hardware costs.

⚠️ Known Limitations & Considerations

• Feature Gaps

  • PBIRS KPIs and Mobile Reports not directly supported.

  • Report subscriptions may require reconfiguration.

• Licensing Shift

  • Fabric requires capacity-based or per-user licensing, which may increase costs vs PBIRS (per-core).

• Hybrid Data

  • On-premises sources require a properly configured Data Gateway (extra overhead).

• Custom Code & Extensions

  • Not all SSRS extensions/custom assemblies migrate seamlessly.

• Change Management

  • Users accustomed to PBIRS folder structure may need training on Fabric workspaces/apps.

• Dependency on Cloud

  • Requires internet connectivity and cloud governance alignment (data residency, compliance).