create_relationship · Power BI MCP Server MCP: Risk & Policy

WHAT IT DOES

What create_relationship does on Power BI MCP Server

AI agents use create_relationship to create or update resources in Power BI MCP Server — usually the action step of a workflow, after the agent has gathered context. Every call changes real data in your Power BI MCP Server environment.

WHY IT NEEDS A POLICY

Why create_relationship needs a policy

This tool creates new relationships between columns in a Power BI model, which is a reversible modification to the model structure. It does not delete data (Destructive), execute arbitrary code (Execute), involve financial transactions (Financial), or merely read data (Read). Creating relationships is a schema-level write operation that can be undone by removing the relationship.

From the tool's definition Tool name is 'create_relationship' and description states 'Create a relationship between two columns in the connected Power BI Desktop model'. The verb 'create' indicates data modification.

Attacks that exploit this kind of access

Recommended rule Ready

Verdict

create_relationship Rate-limited

create_relationship stays usable, but capped — an agent stuck in a loop can't make hundreds of changes a minute. Everything else on the server is denied unless you say otherwise.

View as policy code

policy.json

{
  "version": "1",
  "default": "deny",
  "tools": {
    "create_relationship": {
      "limits": [
        {
          "counter": "create_relationship_rate",
          "window": "minute",
          "max": 30,
          "scope": "grant"
        }
      ]
    }
  }
}

LIMIT THIS TOOL →

Instant setup, no code required.

PolicyLayer is an MCP gateway: every tool call is checked against your rule before it reaches Power BI MCP Server, so you can run agents against it safely.

FAQ

Questions about create_relationship

What does the create_relationship tool do? +

Create a relationship between two columns in the connected Power BI Desktop model (TOM). Honors an open tom transaction. It is categorised as a Write tool in the Power BI MCP Server MCP Server, which means it can create or modify data. Consider rate limits to prevent runaway writes.

How do I enforce a policy on create_relationship? +

Register the Power BI MCP Server MCP server in PolicyLayer and add a rule for create_relationship: allow, deny, rate-limit, or require approval. Point your MCP client at the PolicyLayer proxy URL and the rule is enforced on every call, before it reaches Power BI MCP Server. Nothing to install.

What risk level is create_relationship? +

create_relationship is a Write tool with medium risk. Write tools should be rate-limited to prevent accidental bulk modifications.

Can I rate-limit create_relationship? +

Yes. Add a rate_limit block to the create_relationship rule in your PolicyLayer policy. For example, setting max: 10 and window: 60 limits the tool to 10 calls per minute. Rate limits are tracked per agent session and reset automatically.

How do I block create_relationship completely? +

Set action: deny in the PolicyLayer policy for create_relationship. The AI agent will receive a policy violation error and cannot call the tool. You can also include a reason field to explain why the tool is blocked.

What MCP server provides create_relationship? +

create_relationship is provided by the Power BI MCP Server MCP server (sulaiman013/powerbi-mcp). PolicyLayer sits as a proxy in front of this server to enforce policies before tool calls reach the server.