[Bug]: Te deploy forces Power BI workspace mode when targeting SSAS server

[Niekwijs]

Pre-flight checks

• I am running the latest preview release of the Tabular Editor CLI.
• I have searched existing issues and could not find a duplicate.

CLI version

0.5.2.11639

Operating system

Windows

Architecture

x64

Command that triggered the bug

te deploy PROJECT_PATH -s "MY.SERVER.COM" -d DBNAME --force --skip-bpa --ci github

Expected behavior

Detect the target as SSAS
Use Windows Integrated Authentication
Tabular editor to deploy project to remote SSAS server instance

Actual behavior

Plain Server Name

=== Starting deploy script Tab3 projects ===

--- Parameters ---
TabularInstance : MY.SERVER.COM
Zone            : <ZONE>
Environment     : <ENVIRONMENT>
Te version      : 0.5.2.11639
=== Preflight checks ===
  [OK] te.exe found at: <CLI_PATH>\te.exe
  [OK] Tabular Editor CLI version: te version <CLI_VERSION>

WARNING: [WARN] Could not reach <SSAS_SERVER>
 on port 2383. Deploy may still succeed on named pipe. Continuing.

  [OK] SourcePath exists: .\Tabular Models

=== Retrieving all Tab3 projects in repository ===

--- Projects found ---
  - <MODEL_1>
  - <MODEL_2>
  - <MODEL_3>
--- end ---

=== Starting model deployment ===

--- Deploying: <MODEL_1> ---
    Target instance : MY.SERVER.COM
    Project path    : .\Tabular Models\<MODEL_1>
    Target database : <MODEL_1>

This is an early preview release of the Tabular Editor CLI.
Preview features expire on <EXPIRY_DATE>.

[debug:deploy] --- deploy command start ---

[debug:connection] ResolveServerDatabase →
  explicit: server=powerbi://api.powerbi.com/v1.0/myorg/MY.SERVER.COM, 
  database=<MODEL_1>

[debug:model] Load: path=.\Tabular Models\<MODEL_1>
[debug:model] Resolved layout: Bare/DatabaseJson → .\Tabular Models\<MODEL_1>\database.json
[debug:model] TabularModelHandler created (<TIME_MS>)
[debug:model] Semantic analysis complete (<TIME_MS>)
[debug:model] Model loaded: <TABLE_COUNT> tables, <MODEL_1>

Model:      <MODEL_1>
Workspace:  powerbi://api.powerbi.com/v1.0/myorg/MY.SERVER.COM
Target:     <MODEL_1>

[debug:session] id=<SESSION_ID> path=<USER_CONFIG_PATH>\sessions\<SESSION_FILE>.json (no file - fresh session)

[debug:auth] AcquireAsToken:
  server=powerbi://api.powerbi.com/v1.0/myorg/MY.SERVER.COM,
  method=Auto, isRemote=True, needsToken=False

[debug:auth] TryCachedToken:
  attempting silent token for scope=https://analysis.windows.net/powerbi/api/.default

[debug:auth] MSAL cache storage for '<CACHE_FILE>' resolved to OsKeyStore
[debug:auth] TryCachedToken: no cached token (<TIME_MS>)

Connecting (browser auth)...

[debug:auth] No cached token available, falling back to TOM Interactive Login

[debug:connection] BuildInteractiveConnectionString →
  Provider=MSOLAP;
  Data Source=powerbi://api.powerbi.com/v1.0/myorg/MY.SERVER.COM;
  Interactive Login=Always;
  Identity Mode=Connection;
  Application Name="Tabular Editor CLI"

Deploying...

[debug:deploy] Deploying to database=<MODEL_1>, createOnly=False

[debug:deploy] Connection:
  Provider=MSOLAP;
  Data Source=powerbi://api.powerbi.com/v1.0/myorg/MY.SERVER.COM;
  Interactive Login=Always;
  Identity Mode=Connection;
  Application Name="Tabular Editor CLI"

[debug:deploy] Deploy failed: A connection cannot be made. Ensure that the server is running.

::error::A connection cannot be made. Ensure that the server is running.
Error: Deployment failed: A connection cannot be made. Ensure that the server is running.

    [FAIL] Deploy failed for Tab3 project: <MODEL_1>
    Error : te.exe exited with code 1
    Stack : at <ScriptBlock>, <PIPELINE_PATH>\deploy_Tab3_projects.ps1: line <LINE_NUMBER>
``

OR

=== Preflight checks ===
  [OK] te.exe found at: <CLI_PATH>\te.exe
  [OK] Tabular Editor CLI version: te version 0.5.2.11639
  [OK] SourcePath exists: .\Tabular Models

=== Retrieving all Tab3 projects in repository ===
--- Projects found ---
  - <MODEL_1>
  - <MODEL_2>
  - <MODEL_3>
--- end ---

=== Starting model deployment ===

--- Deploying: <MODEL_1> ---
    Target instance : Provider=MSOLAP;Data Source=MY.SERVER.COM
    Project path    : .\Tabular Models\<MODEL_1>
    Target database : <MODEL_1>

This is an early preview release of the Tabular Editor CLI. 
Preview features expire on <EXPIRY_DATE>.

[debug:deploy] --- deploy command start ---

[debug:connection] ResolveServerDatabase → 
  explicit: server=powerbi://api.powerbi.com/v1.0/myorg/Provider=MSOLAP;Data Source=<SSAS_SERVER>, 
  database=<MODEL_1>

[debug:model] Load: path=.\Tabular Models\<MODEL_1>
[debug:model] Resolved layout: Bare/DatabaseJson → .\Tabular Models\<MODEL_1>\database.json
[debug:model] TabularModelHandler created (<TIME_MS>)
[debug:model] Semantic analysis complete (<TIME_MS>)
[debug:model] Model loaded: <TABLE_COUNT> tables, <MODEL_1>

Model:      <MODEL_1>
Workspace:  powerbi://api.powerbi.com/v1.0/myorg/Provider=MSOLAP;Data Source=<SSAS_SERVER>
Target:     <MODEL_1>

[debug:session] id=<SESSION_ID> path=<USER_CONFIG_PATH>\sessions\<SESSION_FILE>.json (no file - fresh session)

[debug:auth] AcquireAsToken: 
  server=powerbi://api.powerbi.com/v1.0/myorg/Provider=MSOLAP;Data Source=<SSAS_SERVER>, 
  method=Auto, isRemote=True, needsToken=False

[debug:auth] TryCachedToken: attempting silent token for scope=https://analysis.windows.net/powerbi/api/.default
[debug:auth] MSAL cache storage for '<CACHE_FILE>' resolved to OsKeyStore
[debug:auth] TryCachedToken: no cached token (<TIME_MS>)

[debug:auth] No cached token available, falling back to TOM Interactive Login

Connecting (browser auth)...

[debug:connection] BuildInteractiveConnectionString → 
  Provider=MSOLAP; 
  Data Source="powerbi://api.powerbi.com/v1.0/myorg/Provider=MSOLAP;Data Source=<SSAS_SERVER>"; 
  Interactive Login=Always; 
  Identity Mode=Connection; 
  Application Name="Tabular Editor CLI"

Deploying...

[debug:deploy] Deploying to database=<MODEL_1>, createOnly=False

[debug:deploy] Connection: 
  Provider=MSOLAP; 
  Data Source="powerbi://api.powerbi.com/v1.0/myorg/Provider=MSOLAP;Data Source=<SSAS_SERVER>"; 
  Interactive Login=Always; 
  Identity Mode=Connection; 
  Application Name="Tabular Editor CLI"

[debug:deploy] Deploy failed: A connection cannot be made. Ensure that the server is running.

::error::A connection cannot be made. Ensure that the server is running.
Error: Deployment failed: A connection cannot be made. Ensure that the server is running.

    [FAIL] Deploy failed for Tab3 project: <MODEL_1>
    Error : te.exe exited with code 1
    Stack : at <ScriptBlock>, <PIPELINE_PATH>\deploy_Tab3_projects.ps1: line <LINE_NUMBER>
``

Steps to reproduce

Run
te deploy ".\Tabular Models\Sales" -s "Provider=MSOLAP;Data Source=MY.SERVER.COM"
-d "Sales" --force
--skip-bpa `
--ci github

Or

te deploy ".\Tabular Models\Sales" -s "MY.SERVER.COM"
-d "Sales" --force
--skip-bpa `
--ci github

Additional context

When using the Tabular Editor CLI (te.exe) to deploy a Tabular model to an on-prem SSAS server, the CLI incorrectly interprets the --server (-s) parameter as a Power BI workspace, even when a valid SSAS server name or connection string is provided.

[Niekwijs]

Posted bug on the wrong repository

[mlonsk]

@Niekwijs This is the right repository for TE CLI issues, I will reopen the issue and we are looking into reproducing it.

[mlonsk]

Hi @Niekwijs
Thanks for your detailed report. We have reproduced the issue. I don't have a specific timeline at the moment, but I will keep you updated.