Azure Analysis Services
Connect Dot to Azure Analysis Services semantic models
Connect Dot to your Azure Analysis Services (AAS) server to query your semantic models using natural language. Dot syncs your tables, columns, measures, and relationships so you can ask questions about your data without writing DAX.
Requirements
An Azure Analysis Services server with at least one deployed model
Read access to the models you want to query
One of the two authentication methods described below
Authentication Methods
Option 1: Interactive SSO (OAuth)
Sign in with your Microsoft account. Dot uses delegated access on your behalf — no service principal setup required.
Go to Settings → Semantic Layers → Azure Analysis Services
Enter your Server URL (e.g.,
asazure://westeurope.asazure.windows.net/myserver)Optionally enter a Database Name to sync only that model, or leave empty to sync all models on the server
Click Connect with Microsoft
Sign in with your Microsoft account and grant access
Dot will start syncing your semantic models
Finding your Server URL
Open your AAS resource in the Azure Portal. The server name is shown on the Overview page, formatted as: asazure://{region}.asazure.windows.net/{servername}
Option 2: Service Principal
Use an Azure AD app registration for automated, unattended access — ideal for production deployments where you don't want auth tied to a user account.
1. Create an Entra ID Application
Go to Azure Portal → Azure Active Directory → App registrations → New registration
Name:
Dot-AAS-Access(or similar)Account types: Accounts in this organizational directory only
Click Register
Go to Certificates & secrets → New client secret and copy the value
Note the Application (client) ID and Directory (tenant) ID from the Overview page
2. Grant AAS Access
Add the service principal as a member of a server role:
Open SQL Server Management Studio (SSMS) and connect to your AAS server
Right-click the server → Properties → Security
Click Add and enter:
app:{client_id}@{tenant_id}Assign the appropriate role (Reader is sufficient for Dot)
3. Connect in Dot
Go to Settings → Semantic Layers → Azure Analysis Services
Enter your Server URL, Database Name, Client ID, Client Secret, and Tenant ID
Click Connect
What Gets Synced
When you connect Azure Analysis Services, Dot imports:
Databases / Models — appear as schemas in Dot
Tables and columns — with their descriptions and data types
Measures — including DAX expressions
Relationships — connections between tables
Dot periodically re-syncs to pick up changes. You can also trigger a manual sync from the connection settings.
Troubleshooting
Token Expired / Please Reconnect
If you see "No access token available" or similar errors, your OAuth refresh token may have expired (tokens last 90 days). Go to Settings → Semantic Layers → Azure Analysis Services and click Connect with Microsoft again to re-authenticate.
Limitations
Known limitations
Cross-tenant access — querying AAS servers in a different Azure AD tenant requires B2B guest access
Row-Level Security (RLS) — supported for Service Principal auth, but the SP must be added to an RLS role in SSMS
Maximum 100,000 rows per query — larger result sets are truncated
Last updated