Grant read definition permissions on object metadata (Analysis Services)
Applies to: 
SQL Server Analysis Services 
Azure Analysis Services
Fabric/Power BI Premium
Permission to read an object definition, or metadata, on selected objects lets an administrator grant permission to view object information, without also granting permission to modify the object's definition, modify the object's structure, or view the actual data for the object. Read Definition permissions can be granted at the database, data source, dimension, mining structure, and mining model levels. If you require Read Definition permissions for a cube, you must enable Read Definition for the database.Remember that permissions are additive. For example, one role grants permission to read the metadata for a cube, while a second role grants the same user permission to read the metadata for a dimension. The permissions from the two different roles combine to give the user permission to both read metadata for the cube and the metadata for the dimension within that database.
Note
Permission to read a database's metadata is the minimum permission required to connect to an SQL Server Analysis Services database using either Management Studio or SQL Server Data Tools. A user who has permission to read metadata can also use the DISCOVER_XML_METADATA schema rowset to query the object and view its metadata.
Set read definition permissions on a database
Granting permission to read database metadata also grants permission to read the metadata of all objects in the database.
We suggest that you include the Read Definition permission at the database level whenever you are setting up roles for dedicated processing. Having Read Definition allows non-administrators to view a model's object hierarchy in SQL Server Management Studio and navigate to individual objects for subsequent processing.
In SQL Server Management Studio, connect to the instance of SQL Server Analysis Services, expand Roles for the appropriate database in Object Explorer, and then click a database role (or create a new database role).
On the General tab, select the Read Definition option.
In the Membership pane, enter the Windows user and group accounts that connect to Analysis Services using this role.
Click OK to finish creating the role.
Set read definition permissions on individual objects
In SQL Server Management Studio, connect to the instance of SQL Server Analysis Services, open the Databases folder, select a database, expand Roles for the appropriate database in Object Explorer, and then click a database role (or create a new database role).
In the General pane, clear the database permission for Read Definition. This step removes permission inheritance so that you can set permissions on individual objects.
Select the object for which you are specifying Read Definition properties:
In the Data Sources pane, click the Read Definition check box for that data source. Role members can view the connection string to the data source, including the server name and possibly the user name. This permission is available in case you want to provide connection string information, without also granting permission to modify the connection string or view the definitions of any other objects.
In the Dimensions pane, click the Read Definition check box for that dimension. Experienced analysts and developers may need to view the definition without permission to modify it or view the definitions of other objects (such as other dimensions, cube objects, or mining structures and models).
In the Mining Structures pane, click the Read Definition check box for data mining structures or models. Read Definition is required for browsing the data model. See Grant permissions on data mining structures and models (Analysis Services) for details.
In the Membership pane, enter the Windows user and group accounts that connect to Analysis Services using this role.
Click OK to finish creating the role.
See Also
Grant database permissions (Analysis Services)
Grant process permissions (Analysis Services)