Running paginated report from a dashboard

[Markzolotoy]

I have a dashboard with all kind of filters and slicers. The dataset that is behind the dashboard is also used in a paginated report. At  some point the user will run the paginated report from the dashboard. I need to make sure that the dataset is updated with user selections before report runs. How can I do it?

Thanks

[Markzolotoy]

@lbendlin I understand how it woulg work n case a user selests a cusotmer a runs the report with this selection. But what if I later on I want to automate that process and run reports for different customers and covert them into PDF? Would that visual help doing that or I will ahve to another route? 

Thanks

[lbendlin]

Actually that is possible, for example with Power Automate. You can call the Export PowerBI report to PDF action with a report level filter ( in your case a customer identifier).

[Markzolotoy]

But what I need to convert is the paginated report.

[lbendlin]

I know, but imagine your Power BI report consists entirely of full page paginated report visuals...

[Markzolotoy]

So, what you are saying is that paginated report visual is very helpful to create an interactive part between PB report and a paginated report but a paginated report export automation should be done outside directly dealing with a paginated report? What is confusing me is that with the export I would need to solve same filtering problems that are handled by the visual itself.

[lbendlin]

"confusing"  is a strong word.  I would call it "not exactly straightforward", a klutz if you will. But it does kinda sorta work.  Your URL filter will impact the Power BI report filter context which will in turn impact the filters of the paginated report visual, and these filters will be taken into account when the paginated report visual will be rerendered as part of the export request.

[Markzolotoy]

I see, a bit less confusing now. But still ... So what I am going to export is the PowerBI report? But I onel need the paginated report to be in the PDF. I feel stupid but just can't get my head around it.

[lbendlin]

I'm sorry that I led you down this rathole.  The idea was to use the Power BI report as a shell company for a bunch of full page paginated report visuals that would each represent a page in your paginated report (and would be impacted by the report level filters).  Yes. there are many flaws with this approach, especially if the number of pages is unknown.

[Markzolotoy]

Interesting idea, but if you need a single paginated report exported into PDF that might be not the best approach. So, the pagnated report visual itslef doesn't have an export factory?

[lbendlin]

No, exports can only go down to report page level, not below that.

[lbendlin]

"I have a dashboard with all kind of filters and slicers"

No, dashboards don't have filters or slicers. You mean a report.

Have you considered adding the new Paginated Report visual into your Power BI report?  That would take the user filters into accounts when re-rendering the paginated report.

[Markzolotoy]

<That would take the user filters into accounts when re-rendering the paginated report.

Can you please elaborate on this?

[lbendlin]

Please refer to this documentation: Create and use the paginated report visual - Power BI | Microsoft Docs

It describes the required steps, and the overall functionality.

[Markzolotoy]

In the article it says: 

• To access a paginated report to include in your Power BI report with a paginated report visual, you need access to a workspace in a Power BI Premium capacity.

Does that mean PPU as well?

[lbendlin]

That's my understanding, but I can't test that part - I don't have a PPU environment to work with.