Forum Discussion
Automatic update at least every hour with editing in Power Bi Desktop before
lukas1,
"But if I get this right, in this case it is only possible to update through scheduled refresh (which is only possible 8 times a day)?"
In this case, when you change data in Excel source file, you are only able to set schedule refresh for your dataset to bring changes to Power BI Report. Unless you have Power BI premium license, you will be limited to refresh 8 times a day.
"Do you think to build up a SQL database would be the easiest way to achieve the automatic updates?"
Yes. you can use DirectQuery mode to connect to SQL database and achieve hourly refresh in Power BI Service.
Regards,
Lydia
Maybe a short form, because the text got pretty long:
Is it possible to automatically refresh a Power BI online dataset/report every hour, if it is based on a excel file/database (where the data is changed every hour) and afterwards modified in power BI desktop?
Order of Events/Structure:
Source: Example: Excel file (in Onedrive) --> Power Bi Desktop file where it gets modified (file also in Onedrive) --> Power BI Service (with report/dashboard)
Thank you very much in advance!
Lukas
(Power BI Pro License)
lukas1,
Do you want to change data in Excel data source and then sync the data changes in Power BI Service every hour? If so, you would directly connect to the Excel file in Power BI Service using Get data-> Files->OneDrive for busniess option, then create report in Power BI Service and configure OneDrive for Refresh.
However, if you want to make changes(e.g. add measure, add visual) in Power BI Desktop and then sync these changes in Power BI Service report every hour, then you can connect to the Excel file in Power BI Desktop, create report in Power BI Desktop, upload PBIX file using Get data-> Files->OneDrive for busniess option in Power BI Service and configure OneDrive refresh for the dataset. In this scenario, if you change data in Excel source file, you would need to set schedule refresh for the dataset in order to make data changes reflect in Power BI Service.
In addition, if your data source is SQL database, you can connect to SQL database in Power BI Desktop using DirectQuery mode, create report in Desktop. After publishing the PBIX file to Power BI Service, you are able to automatically refresh the report every hour.
Regards,
Lydia
Anonymous Thank you very much for your answer!
Yes, I would need to take the second path you described, where I use Power BI desktop (to add measures, etc.) before the Power BI Service. But if I get this right, in this case it is only possible to update through scheduled refresh (which is only possible 8 times a day)?
But it would be possible with an SQL Database. Thank you very much for this Idea. Right now I only have a few excel files, but I might build a SQL Database, because I need the hourly update (for 24 h a day). Do you think to build up a SQL database would be the easiest way to achieve the automatic updates?
Regards and thank you,
Lukas
lukas1,
"But if I get this right, in this case it is only possible to update through scheduled refresh (which is only possible 8 times a day)?"
In this case, when you change data in Excel source file, you are only able to set schedule refresh for your dataset to bring changes to Power BI Report. Unless you have Power BI premium license, you will be limited to refresh 8 times a day.
"Do you think to build up a SQL database would be the easiest way to achieve the automatic updates?"
Yes. you can use DirectQuery mode to connect to SQL database and achieve hourly refresh in Power BI Service.
Regards,
Lydia