Automatic Data Updates

[kathbru]

Is it possible to have to data that updates automatically from a websource?

[Anonymous · Accepted solution]

Hi @kathbru,

Power BI will automatically refresh the data in your reports and dashboards for you in the following scenarios.

1. When you connect to content packs for online services such as Salesforce, Microsoft Dynamics, and Google Analytics, datasets created from these online services are refreshed automatically once a day. And you can also setup a refresh schedule. In addition, you can view all of the content packs for online services by logging into Power BI and going to “Get Data>Services>Get”.
2. When you connect live to Azure SQL Database, Azure SQL Data Warehouse, Spark on Azure HD Insight, Power BI automatically refresh data hourly.
3. When you connect to on-premises data sources such as SQL Server Analysis Services, SQL Server, Oracle, SAP HANA, Teradata using Live/DirectQuery option, Power BI automatically refreshes data hourly.
4. When you connect to a file on OneDrive, or SharePoint Online, automatic refresh occurs about every hour for data, and you can configure different schedule refresh settings and manually refresh.

For more details about data refresh in Power BI, please review this article: https://powerbi.microsoft.com/en-us/documentation/powerbi-refresh-data/ .

Thanks,
Lydia Zhang

[fahadfarooqi]

What about data exported from Excel file or Access Database?

Does Power BI update the reports when the Excel file/ access database is updated?

[ankitpatira]

@kathbru It depends on what type of data source it is. Can you provide more information on the type of source ? For example if you're using any of the microsoft published content packs then yes it is refreshed automatically. If you're using Azure sql db or dw then refresh is hourly but automatic.

[vishayv]

@ankitpatira / @Anonymous: can you elaborate on "If you're using Azure sql db or dw then refresh is hourly but automatic." . We are using Azure Sql Db as the datasource but the refresh is not hourly.  We use the schedule refresh option which allows us to refresh the data a maximum of 8 times a day. Is there a way to setup hourly refresh (i.e 24 hours a day)?

[kathbru]

Thank you for your response!  I posted this question because we hope to have a report that automatically has updated graphs when we log in.  Is that possible?  What sources should I use that update automatically?