Forum Discussion
Parameters Missing
I really dont understand this at all. Logically, there is no sense what so ever to only allow parameters be used in Power BI desktop.
NOBODY and I mean NOBODY in the executive level is going to install and use Power BI Desktop. They only consume reports to make informative decisions.
So what possible use is there in Parameters? Seriously? When I publish any report with Parameters in them , the end user has no way to input parameters in the Power BI service.
This has to be the most un-usefull feature ever developed. What is the Purpose of a parameter if it cant be changed?
Yes, but the SSRS report is based upon a data set that has all of the data loaded into it either via the actual transactions themselves or the ETL function that loads up all of the data. This is exactly equivalent to the data model in Power BI.
When the user in SSRS selects parameters, the SSRS report is essentially building a query to query the database and return the relevant rows. This is analogous in Power BI to the use of slicers.
In review. Your database behind your SSRS report has all of those "useless rows" in it because it needs to have them in order for the SSRS report to query it to return the relevant rows for the visualizations. Power BI data model also needs all of those useless rows in its dataset in order to return relevant rows for its visualizations.
What it sounds like what you really want is Direct Query which avoids the whole import process that you do not seem to like. But, I believe in one of the multiple, multiple, multiple threads that you have posted on this topic that you don't like Direct Query either.
7 Replies
There are a number of very useful purposes for parameters. One, for example is the use of parameters to move between development, qa and production environments. So, for example, you parameterize the SQL Server name and then it is very easy to move from one SQL Server to another.
That is just one example. It sounds like parameters are not useful in your case as you are looking for user-based ETL control, which, I would point out, isn't available in things like SSRS either really.
Smoupre,
I have to disagree,
We have hundreds of reports that require user input before the report even loads. Users must choose dates, departments etc... before the data even loads in SSRS. Then, Only the required data is queried and returned. It Blows circles around Power BI as far as speed and flexibility. SSRS reports are 10 x faster , much more user friendly and everyone is in control of the data they load.
In Power BI, I must load millions of useless rows for every user, then only after millions of rows are imported can the user begin to filter data. This is completely backwards and makes no sense to people that have been developing reports for years.
With SSRS, the user sets the parameters they want, then the data loads in lightnening speed as it doesnt require a bunch of useless rows be included in the dataset.
Here is a screen shot of SSRS parameters being used to query SQL data. Users enter parameters and then the data loads according to those parameters.
Yes, but the SSRS report is based upon a data set that has all of the data loaded into it either via the actual transactions themselves or the ETL function that loads up all of the data. This is exactly equivalent to the data model in Power BI.
When the user in SSRS selects parameters, the SSRS report is essentially building a query to query the database and return the relevant rows. This is analogous in Power BI to the use of slicers.
In review. Your database behind your SSRS report has all of those "useless rows" in it because it needs to have them in order for the SSRS report to query it to return the relevant rows for the visualizations. Power BI data model also needs all of those useless rows in its dataset in order to return relevant rows for its visualizations.
What it sounds like what you really want is Direct Query which avoids the whole import process that you do not seem to like. But, I believe in one of the multiple, multiple, multiple threads that you have posted on this topic that you don't like Direct Query either.
I'm trying to use parameters with Databricks data in a published report. Everything works great in Desktop, but the moment the report is published and in the Workspace - no parameter. I only want to choose a value from a test field, and all the conditions have been met per many posts and searches done. My users cannot use Desktop, they must use the published report. But without the parameter the report is now useless.
