BI Administration, Business Intelligence, Microsoft Certification, PL-300, Power BI

Create and Configure a Workspace (PL-300 Exam Prep)

 
This post is a part of the PL-300: Microsoft Power BI Data Analyst Exam Prep Hub; and this topic falls under these sections:
Manage and secure Power BI (15–20%)
   --> Create and manage workspaces and assets
      --> Create and Configure a Workspace

Note that there are 10 practice questions (with answers and explanations) at the end of each topic. Also, there are 2 practice tests with 60 questions each available on the hub below all the exam topics.

Exam Context

Power BI workspaces are a core governance and collaboration concept on the PL-300 exam. You are expected to understand how to create workspaces, configure settings, assign roles, and manage content in a secure and scalable way.

What Is a Power BI Workspace?

A workspace is a container in the Power BI service used to:

  • Store and manage reports, semantic models (datasets), dashboards, and dataflows
  • Control access and permissions
  • Support collaboration and deployment across teams

Workspaces are the foundation for app publishing, security, and content lifecycle management.

Creating a Workspace

How to Create a Workspace

In the Power BI Service:

  1. Select Workspaces
  2. Choose New workspace
  3. Provide:
    • Workspace name
    • Description (recommended)
    • Optional contact list
  4. Configure advanced settings (if applicable)
  5. Create the workspace

⚠️ Only users with appropriate Power BI licenses and tenant permissions can create workspaces.

Workspace Types and Capacity

Shared Capacity vs Premium Capacity

  • Shared capacity
    • Default for most workspaces
    • Limited performance and feature availability
  • Premium capacity (or Fabric capacity)
    • Required for features like:
      • Large semantic models
      • Incremental refresh (advanced scenarios)
      • Copilot
      • XMLA read/write
      • Deployment pipelines

Understanding which features require Premium is frequently tested on the exam.

Workspace Roles and Permissions

Workspace Roles

Power BI workspaces support four roles:

RoleKey Capabilities
AdminFull control (settings, users, deletion)
MemberCreate, edit, publish, and share content
ContributorCreate and modify content, but no user management
ViewerRead-only access

Exam Tip

  • Admins manage access and settings
  • Members/Contributors build content
  • Viewers consume content only

Configuring Workspace Settings

Key workspace configuration areas include:

1. General Settings

  • Workspace name and description
  • Contact list (for support and ownership clarity)

2. Access Settings

  • Add users or security groups
  • Assign appropriate roles
  • Enforce least-privilege access

3. License and Capacity Settings

  • Assign workspace to Premium capacity
  • Required for advanced features and scalability

Managing Workspace Content

Within a workspace, users can manage:

  • Reports
  • Semantic models
  • Dashboards
  • Dataflows

Key actions include:

  • Publishing from Power BI Desktop
  • Updating datasets
  • Configuring refresh schedules
  • Setting dataset permissions
  • Endorsing content (Promoted or Certified)

Workspace Apps

Workspaces can be used to publish Power BI Apps, which:

  • Provide a curated, read-only experience for consumers
  • Separate development from consumption
  • Are commonly used for enterprise distribution

Exam Insight

  • Apps are published from workspaces
  • Viewers often access content through apps, not the workspace itself

Security and Governance Considerations

Workspaces play a central role in Power BI governance:

  • Centralized content ownership
  • Controlled collaboration
  • Reduced sharing sprawl
  • Support for deployment pipelines (Dev/Test/Prod)

Good workspace design aligns with:

  • Team boundaries
  • Business domains
  • Data ownership

Common Exam Scenarios

You may be asked to determine:

  • Which role a user needs to publish reports
  • When to use Premium capacity
  • How to restrict editing but allow viewing
  • Where apps are created and managed
  • How to organize content for multiple teams

Key Takeaways for PL-300

  • Workspaces are the primary container for Power BI content
  • Role assignment directly impacts security and collaboration
  • Premium capacity unlocks advanced enterprise features
  • Apps are built from workspaces, not standalone
  • Proper workspace configuration supports scalability and governance

Practice Questions

Go to the Practice Questions for this topic.

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