1. Prepare the .NET Assembly

First, you need to create a .NET assembly (DLL) using a .NET language like C#. Here’s a simple example:

Create a C# Class Library

1. Open Visual Studio and create a new Class Library project.
2. Write your code. For example, you can create a simple method that adds two numbers:

using System;

namespace SqlServerAssembly
{
    public class MathFunctions
    {
        public static int Add(int a, int b)
        {
            return a + b;
        }
    }
}

3. Build the project to generate the DLL file. Note the path where the DLL is saved.

2. Enable CLR Integration

By default, CLR integration is disabled in SQL Server. You need to enable it using the following SQL commands:

sp_configure 'clr enabled', 1;
RECONFIGURE;

3. Load the Assembly

Next, you need to load the assembly into SQL Server.

1. Open SQL Server Management Studio (SSMS).
2. Connect to your database.
3. Use the following T-SQL commands to create an assembly and reference the DLL you created:

CREATE ASSEMBLY [SqlServerAssembly]
FROM 'C:\path\to\your\assembly\SqlServerAssembly.dll'
WITH PERMISSION_SET = SAFE;

4. Create Functions or Procedures to Use the Assembly

After loading the assembly, you need to create functions or stored procedures to call the methods from the assembly.

Create a SQL function that uses the Add method from your assembly:

CREATE FUNCTION dbo.AddNumbers (@a INT, @b INT)
RETURNS INT
AS EXTERNAL NAME [SqlServerAssembly].[SqlServerAssembly.MathFunctions].[Add];

5. Test the Assembly

Finally, you can test the function to ensure it works correctly.

SELECT dbo.AddNumbers(5, 10);

Summary

• Create a .NET assembly: Write and compile a class library in a .NET language like C#.
• Enable CLR: Use sp_configure to enable CLR integration.
• Load the assembly: Use the CREATE ASSEMBLY command to load your DLL into SQL Server.
• Create SQL functions or procedures: Use CREATE FUNCTION or CREATE PROCEDURE to expose the methods from your assembly.
• Test the function: Call your function to verify that it works as expected.

This guide covers the basic steps required to create and use an assembly. Depending on your specific needs, you may need to adjust permissions, handle complex types, or manage different versions of assemblies.

1. Create a new user in Azure Active Directory

Log in to the Azure Portal, navigate to the Azure Active Directory item and click on Users.

Press the + New user button.

Create a new user. For this tutorial, we will call him Power BI Admin and powerbiadmin@sqlpowered.com account name (email address) will be used.
Don’t forget to click the Show Password box and note the password. We will need it in the next step!
When completed, press the create button. You should see the newly created user in the list of Azure AD users.

2. Sign in to the Power BI

Go to the powerbi.microsoft.com and sign it with the credentials created above (user name (email) and password).

Because the password set in Azure AD is only temporal and must be changed the first time the user is log in to any Microsoft service, insert the current password in the Current password box and then insert a different new password which should be used by the user permanently and sign in.

Now the password was changed and you will be notified that an account with the same name already exists and you need to sign in again with the new password set in the previous step. This is just a not very clear request to sign in again with the new password.

On the next screen you can opt-out from some Microsoft marketing materials. Set is base on your preferences and press the Start button.

There is an option to invite other people to the Power BI Service. Just Skip it for now.

You should be successfully logged in to the Power BI Service Portal now.

3. Review the Admin portal setting

Press the circle in the top right corner and navigate to the Admin portal section. You can ignore the Power BI Pro offer for now. It doesn’t have any impact on the Power BI Administrator setup process.

What you will see is just this limited list. There is zero option to change anything on the tenant level.

To allow more settings available here we must leave the Power BI Service portal and move again to Azure Portal to configure administrator access.

4. Assign user to the Power BI administrator role

Go back to the Azure Portal, navigate to the Azure Active Directory, and list of users please select the one created above.

In the user’s detail click on Assigned roles, then + Add assignments and the filter for the Power BI administrator role. Select it and press the Add button.

Our user is now assigned to the Power BI administrator role.

5. Review the Admin portal section in the Power BI Portal

When you will go back to the Power BI Portal and refresh the page you may see the full list of available administrative options and configure a lot of setting for the organizational Power BI tenant.
Note: If the simple page refresh doesn’t work you must sign out and sign in again. This will refresh your permissions list.

Alternative path: Office 365

Users can be assigned to the Power B administrator role also in Office 365 admin center. Sign in to the Office 365 Admin Portal, navigate to Users => Active user and select the user you will promote to Power Bi administrator. In the Roles section click the Manage roles link and then select the Power BI administrator role from the list and assign it to the user.

2. Click on Create to create a new Storage Account

3. Fill Resource group name, Storage account name, and switch Replication to Local-only redundant storage to save money when testing. Then move to Advanced tab.

4. Allow Hierarchical namespace (this will promote the “classic” blob storage to the Azure Data Lake Storage). Switching to the Cool tier will save some resources. You may also disable Public access for better security.

5. Validate the settings and press the Create button to start the deployment.

6.After a short period of time approval message should appear.