topic Re: Compatibility of Power BI Desktop (Report Server) and Power BI Desktop (Power BI-Service) in Report Server

Compatibility of Power BI Desktop (Report Server) and Power BI Desktop (Power BI-Service)

robinHH — Tue, 24 Nov 2020 10:54:19 GMT

Dear Community,

I already searched in this forum without finding any specific information from Microsoft.

For specific reasons I want to use both versions of Power BI Desktop (Report Server and Power BI-Service) and I would like to know the best strategy to handle the PBIX-Files for both versions with a best practice approach.

Microsoft states "Stay on the version of Power BI Desktop which is compatible for both the Power BI service and Power BI Report Server. New features are available to users approximately every 4 months in this scenario. This is the recommended approach because it's the simplest for reports authors to understand" (Planning a Power BI Enterprise Deployment, V3.1 as of May 2020).

However, I am still unsure if I each PBIX file generated on Power BI Desktop (Report Server) does work without any problems in Power BI Desktop (Power BI-Service), if I use the 4 month update cycle for both version.

I appriaciate your help.

Kind regards
Robin

Re: Compatibility of Power BI Desktop (Report Server) and Power BI Desktop (Power BI-Service)

d_gosbell — Wed, 25 Nov 2020 04:12:49 GMT

robinHH wrote:

However, I am still unsure if I each PBIX file generated on Power BI Desktop (Report Server) does work without any problems in Power BI Desktop (Power BI-Service), if I use the 4 month update cycle for both version.

So any PBIX you build in the ReportServer version should be able to opened with any version of the Service Desktop provided it is the same month or later.

The issue is that the reverse is not true. If you create a PBIX in the service version you may never be able to open it in the Report Server version (even using versions released in the same month). There are features an functionality in the service that do not exist on Report Server (such as Composite models and Aggregations as just 2 examples)

So if you want to publish to Report Server you should always use the Report Server Desktop. If you want to publish to the service you can use either version of Desktop.

Re: Compatibility of Power BI Desktop (Report Server) and Power BI Desktop (Power BI-Service)

gustavoandrade — Wed, 25 Nov 2020 12:21:07 GMT

To avoid problems like this (I've had several), I established that no work notebook I use the PBI Desktop May2020 and compatible Report Server. The personal notebook always uses the most current version of PBI Desktop for service.

Re: Compatibility of Power BI Desktop (Report Server) and Power BI Desktop (Power BI-Service)

robinHH — Wed, 25 Nov 2020 12:25:41 GMT

Dear gustavogrande,

just to make sure that I understand you correct: You always just update the Power BI Desktop (Power BI-Service | Updated monthly) when there is also an update for Power BI Desktop (Power BI Report Server | Updated quarterly)?

May you please tell me which problem occured when you used the latest version of both Power BI Desktop versions?

Thanks 🙂

Re: Compatibility of Power BI Desktop (Report Server) and Power BI Desktop (Power BI-Service)

rjgupta57 — Wed, 27 Apr 2022 16:57:56 GMT

Hi d_gosbell 😥 is this limitation (There are features and functionality in the service that do not exist on Report Server (such as Composite models and Aggregations as just 2 examples)) you mentioned, still there?

Re: Compatibility of Power BI Desktop (Report Server) and Power BI Desktop (Power BI-Service)

d_gosbell — Wed, 27 Apr 2022 22:05:40 GMT

Yes, this limitation is still present.