Use ChatGPT to Talk to Your Power BI XMLA Data via CData Connect AI

ChatGPT is an AI chatbot developed by OpenAI, launched in November 2022. Based on large language models (LLMs), it enables users to refine and steer conversations through natural language processing. ChatGPT's developer mode, available to Plus and Pro subscribers, provides full Model Context Protocol (MCP) support for connecting to external data sources and tools.

CData Connect AI offers a dedicated cloud-to-cloud interface for connecting to Power BI XMLA data. The CData Connect AI Remote MCP Server enables secure communication between ChatGPT and Power BI XMLA. This allows you to ask questions and take actions on your Power BI XMLA data using ChatGPT, all without the need for data replication to a natively supported database. With its inherent optimized data processing capabilities, CData Connect AI efficiently channels all supported SQL operations, including filters and JOINs, directly to Power BI XMLA. This leverages server-side processing to swiftly deliver the requested Power BI XMLA data.

Step 1: Configure Power BI XMLA Connectivity for ChatGPT

Connectivity to Power BI XMLA from ChatGPT is made possible through CData Connect AI Remote MCP. To interact with Power BI XMLA data from ChatGPT, we start by creating and configuring a Power BI XMLA connection in CData Connect AI.

1. Log into your Connect AI account, click Sources, and then click Add Connection.
👁 Adding a Connection

2. Select "Power BI XMLA" from the Add Connection panel.
👁 Selecting a data source

3. Enter the necessary authentication properties to connect to Power BI XMLA.

   By default, use Entra ID (formerly Azure AD) to connect to Microsoft Power BI XMLA. Entra ID (formerly Azure AD) is Microsoft's multi-tenant, cloud-based directory and identity management service. It is user-based authentication that requires that you set AuthScheme to EntraID (formerly AzureAD).

   For more information on other authentication schemes, refer to the Help documentation.

   👁 Configuring a connection (Salesforce is shown)
   
4. Click Save & Test

With the connection configured, we are ready to connect to Power BI XMLA data from ChatGPT.

Step 2: Connect ChatGPT to CData Connect AI

Follow these steps to add a CData Connect AI connection in ChatGPT:

1. Sign in to ChatGPT with a Plus or Pro subscription.
2. Navigate to Apps from the left panel.
3. Select the CData Connect AI app from the list.
. 👁 Search for CData Connect AI

4. Click Connect to authenticate to your Connect AI account.
👁 Click Connect to authenticate

5. Click Sign in with CData Connect AI to add Connect AI to your ChatGPT account.
👁 Sign in with CData Connect AI

6. After successful authorization, you will be redirected back to ChatGPT.
7. Click Start Chat to start a new conversation in ChatGPT with Connect AI connected at the background.
👁 Start Chat

Step 3: Explore Live Power BI XMLA Data with ChatGPT

1. Start a new conversation in ChatGPT.
2. Connect AI should ideally be automatically enabled in the chat. If not, navigate to -> More -> CData Connect AI, under the chatbox, to enable the connector from the dropdown
👁 Enable CData Connect AI in the chat

3. You can now start exploring your data with natural language prompts. ChatGPT will use the Connect AI MCP server to query your live Power BI XMLA data. Example prompts:
   • "Show me all customers from the last 30 days"
   • "What are my top performing products?"
   • "Analyze sales trends for this quarter"
   • "List all active projects and their current status"
   Refer to CData prompt library for more prompt ideas.
👁 Using natural language to explore your Power BI XMLA data (Salesforce used here).

4. Permit ChatGPT to access your Power BI XMLA data. Click Query Data to continue, or Deny to refuse.
👁 Give permissions to ChatGPT.

5. ChatGPT translates your natural language queries into SQL and execute them against your Power BI XMLA data through the Connect AI MCP server.
👁 ChatGPT shows the desired results from your Power BI XMLA data based on the prompts

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