Data Lineage & Impact Analysis: Managing Dependencies

In large corporate environments, a single central semantic model may power 50 different downstream reports, 20 dashboards, and multiple automated Power Automate workflows.

If a database administrator alters a column name or changes an ETL filter, how do you know which reports will break? The answer is Data Lineage & Impact Analysis.

1. Navigating Lineage View in the Power BI Service

In any workspace in the Power BI Service, click the Lineage view icon in the top-right toolbar:

2. Executing Automated Impact Analysis

When you plan to modify or delete a dataset:

1. 1
   In Lineage View, select the dataset card.
2. 2
   Click Notify contacts to send automated email warnings to all report owners before making breaking changes.
3. 3
   View the Impact Analysis side pane:

• Total downstream workspaces affected.
• Total downstream reports and dashboards.
• Total active monthly viewers who will be impacted!