This blog runs through the process of setting up Power BI and the SCCM template which will give you detailed information on your System Center Configuration Manager including client and server health, malware protection, software updates, and software inventory across your organisation.
First things first, to run the Power BI SCCM template you need to running PowerShell v5 on the device that you install it on.
Run a Get-Host on your device to see the PowerShell version installed.
If it’s not v5 then go to here and grab a copy and install.
Download the SCCM Template
Next head over to https://powerbi.microsoft.com/en-us/solution-templates/sccm/
Click ‘Install Now’ to start the installation of the Power BI SCCM template.
Scroll down and click ‘Sign In’
Once you have signed in you will need to allow access to the Business Platform Solution Template. Click Accept to do this.
You’ll now be presented with a Download button.
Install and configure the Microsoft-SCCMTemplate
Run the downloaded file ‘Microsoft-SCCMTemplate.exe’. Click Install.
Restart the device once setup is complete.
Once the machine is back up and running you need to execute the ‘Microsoft-SCCMTemplate’ application.
At the wizard click ‘Next’
Enter credentials that will be used to connect to the Configmgr DB and click ‘Validate’
Click ‘Next’ when validation is successful.
Now enter the name of the server hosting your site database and click ‘Validate’. Once validated successfully click Next.
Now we need to specify a server running SQL server to use as a target. I have installed a server called ConfigMgr2 one which SQL is installed. I have also created a database called PowerBI which I will use to host the data. Enter the server name, click Validate and the choose the correct DB from the drop down list. Click Next to continue.
Enter the relevant details for trigger time or compliancy and click Validate then click Next.
Click ‘Run’ to build the solution template.
This process can take a little while so grab a cuppa.
Until it has completed. Then click ‘Download Report’
Save the .pbix file.
Install Power BI Desktop
Go to https://powerbi.microsoft.com/en-us/desktop/ and download the Power BI Desktop.
Run the PBIDesktop_x64.msi on a desktop OS. Click Next.
Accept the licence agreement and click Next.
Enter a location to install and click Next.
Click Install and Finish to complete.
Configure Power BI Desktop to use the SCCM Template file
Launch the Power BI Desktop and open the Solution Template file saved earlier.
In the ribbon click the Edit Queries button and choose ‘Edit Queries’.
Highlight one of the nodes in the left hand nav with a warning triangle, I have chosen ‘Site’, and click ‘Edit Credentials’.
I’m using the current credentials as these will have access to the PowerBi database. Click Connect.
Click OK
The warning triangles will disappear from the left hand hav as the query connections are made successfully.
Close the query editor and select the ‘Overview’ tab from the main screen. If the dashboard comes back as BLANK then hit refresh in the Ribbon bar.
Once refreshed the dashboard should populate with data with some pretty cool info straight out of the box.
SCCMentor - Paul Winstanley 
Pretty cool report out of the box. Hope to see more article on how to create new reports and stuff.
All went good until summary and then gave error about “Scheduled task exited with code 267045 — Action Failed Microsoft-GetDataPullStatus — Error ID:(tvm5sgof01nstt9” and then once again clicking on RUN at Summary Page it started but its been 4 hours still saying “Getting your PowerBI File ready”
Are you using full SQL and not express? Also might be worth running PowerShell v5 on the device you are executing this on.
I was getting Message as “All done you can download report” but was never getting option to save file. so I stopped the SCCM template tool and then restarted server. After that install PowerBi Desktop tool and import the template file automatically and recreated connect from datasources and dashboard all information that required.
Hi,
Richard from the Power BI solution template team here. If you’e seeing Action Failed Microsoft-GetDataPullStatus, can you please contact us at pbisolntemplates@microsoft.com? We’d like to help and diagnose what’s up to see if there is something we need to do.
Cheers,
richard
Cheers for the input Richard
Email was already sent. Waiting for update.
Hi, just wanted to say this looks real nice.
As a heads up you really should use $PSVersionTable and look at the PSVersion property instead of using Get-Host.
Get-Host might not return the correct version if in a remoting session but $PSVersionTable will always return the correct PS version.
//Tommy
Cheers Tommy that’s a good tip. Paul
Very nice. Any tips on how to alter or add to datasource. I need to add domain, computermodel, machinetype etc.
Claus – have a look at the readme and see if any of this assists you. https://microsoft.github.io/BusinessPlatformApps/appdoc.html?file=Source/Apps/Microsoft/Released/Microsoft-SCCMTemplate/README.MD
Thanks – just what I needed
Great stuff. Let me know how you get on with it
Thanks a lot for excellent article, your advice is very useful to me.
This does not seem to allow credentials / login across domains if you have the tool installed on a standard PC and the SQL server is on another domain – one that is accessible for remote access from the first.
Thanks for the great article. It is very helpful. I use the template for weeks now and I have to state that the PowerBI database on SQL-Server holds old data. du you have any idea how to get the PowerBI-Database up-to-date?
Thanks
Markus, there should be a scheduled task on the server holding the PowerBI DB that runs once a day to copy the data over from the ConfigMgr DB. Take a look at that to see if it executing correctly.
well, I think thet’s the point. There is no scheduled task.
Is it the same box as the one you ran the SCCM Template on? Thinking about it that will be the one with the scheduled task. If one doesn’t exist then re-run the wizard and then check again.
yes, it is. When I re-run the wizard, will my custom changes on the template be wiped-out?
Good question. I’m not sure on the answer to that I’m afraid.
so i need a power BI PRO lic just to set this up for my self?? I have a SQL server for SCCM and only wanna see the stuff for me right now. Basically im asking if i can do this for Free just to test it out.
You can for free. There was a limitation introduced around June. I believe you need to use PRO to share dashboards. But you could sign up for the free trial version of PRO to test this.
yes here is the info https://community.powerbi.com/t5/Discussions-Changes-to-the-free/Changes-to-Power-BI-Free-are-coming-on-June-1-2017/td-p/168918. You can set up all everything else with the free version
Hi team,
I am using a account which has DB owner permission on my SCCM DB. i followed your steps mentioned but all results are blank. please help
Regards,
Santhosh B S
Can you provide more information here? What do you mean by the results are blank?
Hi, Where do I find the “Power BI Solution Template – SCCM” task. I need to change the login credentials. I’ve looked on my PC as well as the server where the tables are stores but do not find it in the Task Scheduler application.
Solved
https://systemcenter.in/2017/09/29/power-bi-active-directory-vs-sccm-boundaries/
Active directory v/s Sccm boundary Power BI dashboard
I have a doubt about the step five, that talk about of a creation of a new database to host the data. My doubt is if this template change any structure in SCCM DB, and in this new database (PowerBI_DB), what this template use of disk space.
You create your db on a separate server and not the cm db server. This will get the info it needs from the cm db during a sync
I have everything working but I’m having a hard time figuring out how to show more information. Like I want to have see a report for Computer Name, Serial Number and OS. They already have Computer Name and OS but I can’t figure out how to populate Serial Number.
Take a look here and see if this can help you extend the template https://github.com/Microsoft/Business-platform-solution-templates/tree/master/Template/Microsoft-SCCMTemplate#report-walkthrough
Reblogged this on System Center.
Is there any way to get notifications when the template gets updated?