Change connection to database

[Sandeep]

HI Team,

We have created few dashboards using existing Excel file. Now as a part of long term strategy we have uploaded the excel data into SQL Azure and automated the process of data refresh.

Now we would like to use the same .pbix file for dashboard from SQL Azure DB by changing the connection string from Excel source to SQL azure connection string.

The Database contains exactly the same column name and table name which was used in Excel.

Could you please help? Please let us know if you need more information.

Thanks

- Sandeep

[MattAllington]

I know for sure that you can't repoint an Excel connection of one type (say SQL) to another type (say Access). You have to delete the table and then re-add it with the new connector. My best guess is that it is the same here but can't be sure. 

[Sandeep]

Thanks MAllington,

Here is my thoughts:

1. Open .pbix file and open in new Power BI Desktop window.

2. Go to Edit query --> go to advance properties --> change connection string 

3. Update Database name and Report dataset --> Save and close.

4. Then it should bring back all the dashboard.

but it seems, it is breaking the dashboard which is created using excel file which means it's not working.

Thanks,

Sandeep

[ImkeF]

@Sandeep 

The way you've described it should work. But there are a lot of steps between changing the connection and your final report so next step should be to identify where things go wrong.

1) Check if the query whose connection you've changed returns the expected result. If not: step through the steps to see where the error occurs.

2) If the query runs through it's still possible that the connections to other tables got broken due to format problems (i.e. if you haven't explicitely set the format in the key columns)

If you haven't done already, I'd start to check the lines directly following the connection string.

[Tsanka]

When the change is in the database type (Excel->SSAS or MS SQL->SSAS  for instance) my way of doing is:

1. backup the M expression of the old query (from advanced editor)
2. create a new query that extracts the same dataset from the new datasource with columns names and types equal to the ones in the original query;
3. replace  the old M expression with the new one.
4. If things are okay, delete the new query

May be it is not the smartest way, but it works for me (and saves me the effort of recreating the relationships)