How do I set the Environment in Power BI Desktop

[John_L_Edwards]

        Sorry for the dead-stupid question, but how do you set the environment in Power BI Desktop, and Power BI on the Web?

        I have Power Automate web up and there's an option in the top bar to select my environment.  I don't have this option anywhere I can find in either Power BI Desktop or Power BI Web.  I'm stuck in my default environment.  My company has set up Dev, Test, and Prod environments for me and Power Automate is happy as a clam with them.  Power BI doesn't appear to provide me any option to change enviroments.

        I appreciate this is about as stupid as a question can get, but it's pretty much a showstopper.  I cannot proceed on anything at all until I get this basic thing working.

[v-stephen-msft]

Hi @John_L_Edwards ，

Set up development, testing, and producting in Power Automate as you described. There's a similar feature called 'deployment pipelines'. Please kindly refer to

Overview of Power BI deployment pipelines - Power BI | Microsoft Learn

Get started using deployment pipelines, the Power BI Application lifecycle management (ALM) tool - P...

Step-by-step Guide to Setup Deployment Pipelines in Power BI

Deployment pipelines is designed as a pipeline with three stages:

• Development

  This stage is used to design, build, and upload new content with fellow creators. This is the first stage in deployment pipelines.

• Test

  You're ready to enter the test stage after you've made all the needed changes to your content. You upload the modified content so it can be moved to this test stage. Here are three examples of what can be done in the test environment:

  • Share content with testers and reviewers

  • Load and run tests with larger volumes of data

  • Test your app to see how it will look for your end users

• Production

  After testing the content, use the production stage to share the final version of your content with business users across the organization.

Best Regards,

Stephen Tao

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[John_L_Edwards]

I don't have the Deployment Pipeline options available to me in either of the locations that the documentation you referenced indicates, so clearly I'm not set up correctly.  I have Admin level privileges to the environments, and I'm attempting to connect via my own workspace (again, with admin, and I'm a PowerBI Pro user in my org) so it appears my organization has not done what needs to be done to connect the pieces.  The option just is not presented to me.

I've been in this line of business for 25 years with other tools.  This Power BI tool seems really complicated in its setup.  Power Automate is dead simple and we're up and running there.  I may need to get with tech support on the phone for an hour to get this cleared up.

P.S.  I'm on a GCC install.  Is that a potential issue?  Is the feature available on GCC?

[v-stephen-msft]

Hi @John_L_Edwards ,

If you are above a Power BI Pro licensee, you can create a support ticket for free and a dedicated Microsoft engineer will come to solve the problem for you.

It would be great if you continue to share in this issue to help others with similar problems after you know the root cause or solution.

The link of Power BI Support: https://powerbi.microsoft.com/en-us/support/

For how to create a support ticket, please refer to https://community.powerbi.com/t5/Community-Blog/How-to-create-a-support-ticket-in-Power-BI/ba-p/6830...

Best Regards,

Stephen Tao

If this post helps, then please consider Accept it as the solution to help the other members find it more quickly.           

[Sahir_Maharaj]

It's also worth mentioning that having separate environments allows you to work on multiple projects and make changes to your reports and dashboards without impacting the production environment. This allows you to iterate and experiment with new features and data sources, while ensuring that your production reports remain unchanged and stable.

Overall, setting the environment in Power BI Desktop and Power BI on the Web is a crucial step for managing your data and ensuring that your reports are accurate and reliable.

[Sahir_Maharaj]

By having separate environments for development, testing, and production, you can ensure that your reports are thoroughly tested and reviewed before being deployed to a production environment. This can help you to avoid potential issues and ensure that your reports are reliable and accurate.

[Sahir_Maharaj]

Please keep in mind that the specific steps to set the environment may vary depending on your company's setup and configuration. 

It's important to note that having different environments for your Power BI reports and dashboards is a best practice for managing data and ensuring data security.

[Sahir_Maharaj]

Hello @John_L_Edwards,

To set the environment in Power BI Desktop and Power BI on the Web, you will need to utilize a different method. In Power BI Desktop, you can set the environment using a Power Query connection string.

You will need to open the Power Query Editor and create a new data source that connects to your desired environment. Once you have created the connection, you can use this data source in your Power BI reports.

[Sahir_Maharaj]

In Power BI on the Web, you can set the environment using the Power BI Service. To do this, you will need to go to the Power BI Service and select the workspace that you want to use. From there, you can select the environment that you want to use from the Workspace drop-down menu.

[John_L_Edwards]

So, thank you for this response.

I don't see how to accomplish what you're recommending.  Are environments inside workspaces, or workspaces inside environments?  I created a new workspace and selected it.  This is in the service.  I clicked on the new workspace on the left-hand column of the window but no options for environment came up.  If there is another "workspace menu" that you're referring to I don't know where it is.

[Sahir_Maharaj]

If you are still unable to find the environment settings, please let me know.

[Sahir_Maharaj]

To access the environment settings, you need to go to the workspace where you have created the environment. You can do this by clicking on "Workspaces" in the left-side navigation, selecting the workspace where your environment is located, and then clicking on the "Environments" tab.

From there, you can select the environment you want to work with, and manage the assets within that environment.

[Sahir_Maharaj]

I apologize if my previous response was unclear.

In Power BI, environments are not contained within workspaces, but rather they are separate entities in the Power BI Service. An environment is a container that holds datasets, dashboards, reports, and other Power BI assets. You can create and manage multiple environments within a workspace, or in multiple workspaces.

[John_L_Edwards]

Thank you for the clarity on the relationship between workspaces and environments.

I still see no way to set my environment.  Again, in Power Automate it's an option at the top of the screen.  Easy.  In Power BI that option is not there, and I do not see an option (or any mention of environments at all) anywhere in the main service screen.

Can you (or anyone else kind enough to help) tell me where on this screen I should be looking please?

[PhillipWeeks]

I agree there seems to be no way to select the environment from Power BI!

[andicornejo12]

Hello @John_L_Edwards I am experiencing the same as you. Have you been able to figure out? If so would you be so kind to share please?

[0nly_dAve]

Hi, I am keen to learn if there is a solution for this too?