Forum Discussion
Power BI Report Data Refresh Questions
Hello Guys,
I have a few questions about refreshing Power BI report and would like to seek your adivce.
We are collecting data with a MS Forms survey, and the survey responses data is stored in our Sharepoint online project folder. I am using Power BI desktop to build a report based on the survey data. As suggested by the experts on Youtube eg. https://youtu.be/YI6ey8EvIAI, I used the Web url of the Excel file and my Organizational credentials to connect and import the Excel data in Sharepoint. After processing the data in Query Editor of Power BI, I published the Report and set up the Refresh Schedule, As shown in the screenshot below.
As I checked the refresh status, the data / report seems to be refreshed on time. However, I find that the refreshed Report does not incorporate the new survey repsonse data. Event the manual "refresh now" does not do the job. To refresh the report, I have to go the Power BI desktop / query editor and refresh the data there and republish the the report.
I just read from this recent MS doc (https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/power-bi/connect-data/refresh-data) that besides setting up power BI data refresh using the scheduler, "If you created your datasets and reports based on a Power BI Desktop file, Excel workbook, or comma separated value (.csv) file on OneDrive or SharePoint Online, Power BI performs another type of refresh, known as OneDrive refresh." Although according to this doc, the OneDrive refresh seems to be done automatically, but it is not working in my case and I have to refresh the data manually using the Power BI desktop. The "refresh history" screenshot shows no auto refresh of OneDrive.
My first question is: Am I doing right to connect to the Sharepoint Online excel data through the Web url?
My 2nd question is: If the web connection is the way to go, how can I import the Excel data from the the Sharepoint folder in order to have the automatic refresh of the OneDrive data? Do I use get data from Sharepoint?
Any advice and suggestions are welcome. Thanks.
LC
7 Replies
Anonymous your schedule refresh should pull the latest data and reports should get updated, not sure why it is not happening if refresh is executed without any error.
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This sounds strange to me too. I haven't had this problem with my connections from the Power BI Service to Excel spreadsheets saved in SharePoint.
AlexisOlson parry2k Thanks for your response. I wonder how do you connect to the Excel file on SharePoint Online. Are you using the Web connection? Does the Refresh History show the the status of OneDrive refresh as "schedule"?
In my case, I use the Web connection as recommend by others. I use the web connection to import the 2 Excel tables in 2 Excel workbooks saved in SharePoint project online folder. But somehow the scheduled autorefresh is not refreshing the data. I have to open Power BI desktop to refresh the data.
It is very frustrating.
Anonymous are you using any parameters that you are using to change the location of the files in the service?
