Switching data source - advice and pitfalls

[Anonymous]

I would like your advice please?

We currently build our reports ostensibly from Excel data files held locally on our servers. Strangely these Excel files are created by Power BI (which is linked to the data cubes as directed by our IT department). We do not currently have the functionality to create Query's etc when connected to this "Live" data hence the need to extract our data into Excel files.

We are, however, able to use the full funtionality when not linked live.

My question is:

Will I be able to easily change the data source to the "Live" data as opposed to the static Excel file?

Is this a straightforward exercise (ie just switching the source file)?

I am concerned that all of the reference points will change!

It means that we can go ahead and build our reports knowing that when we are able to "Go Live" in a few months, our reports will not be lost.

I apprecitae your thoughts and advice in advance.

[Anonymous]

Hi there
Our "Live" data is created in an Azure environment. The cubes are built for us however when we connect to them we lose functionality (this will be corrected soon) so we extract the data from the live and create stand alone Excel files of the data (with the same field names) then work on creating a report to the static data. At some point we will be given the ability to create reports in the "live" data but I wanted to know if switching from the static data extracted Excel files to the live data would cause problems with the reports and querys etc

[V-lianl-msft]

Based on my test, we are not able to change the "Connect live" to "Import" directly. In your scenario, I'm afraid you have to create a new pbix file manually with import mode. 

[amitchandak]

@Anonymous , what do you mean by live data source.

Live means SSMS, AAS or Power bi dataset connection? , this case you can change connection from desktop and publish or you can use demplyement pipelines

If you plan change connection between excel to excel

You can use the connection parameter.

If you need to change from excel to DB. You need to use advance editor and replace the connection and correct few things