How does scheduled refresh work?

[DSmith4]

Hi, I have my reports set to auto refresh at 4am every morning.

In the web, I can clearly see this happening,

I'm wondering why though, when I open my file in PBI Desktop, I dont see the refresh there?

It shows my last manual refresh.

Wondering why? Does PBI Web save a seperate file somewhere that it updates?

Web

Desktop

[TomMartens]

Hey,

I'm wondering what file you open in Power BI Desktop, the file you once used to publish the report to the PBI Service or from did you export the PBIX file from the Power BI App Workspace inside the PBI Service.

Regards,

Tom

[DSmith4]

Yes, it is the same file that I used to upload. I used the "Publish" button in PBI Desktop.

I uploaded the file on the 10th. Manually refreshed (from desktop) the 11th, and on the 12th I added auto refresh.

Thanks

[TomMartens · Accepted solution]

Hey,

please be aware that the Power BI data model contained in the PBI Desktop file is not the same that you pbulished to the Power BI Services.

There are two data models, one inside your Power BI Desktop and one in Power BI Service. The data model inside Power BI Service will be refreshed automatically be the defined refresh schedule.

The refresh of a data model inside Power BI Service will not affect the model inside the Poewer BI Desktop file. Data models inside a Power BI Desktop file have to refreshed manually.

This is how Power BI works.

Regards,

To

[DSmith4]

I have a follow-up question,

If I make a change in desktop version, save it, do I need to re-publish it?

Or will the auto refresh pickup the changes made?

[TomMartens]

Hey,

whenever you make change to the pbix file (PBI Desktop), you have to republish the file to the Power BI Service.

Regards,

Tom