Design Question - Upload File, to merge/use w/ Existing PBI Report Built from Cube

[jpquinn]

Hello,

I have drafted out an elaborate SSIS and SSAS plan to pick up a flat file, load and integrate into a cube, so a report can be enhanced with a users certain account numbers to associate with the data cubes accounts numbers. A fancy way to do SQL Joins if it were.

Can I do this in a much simpler way with Power BI Desktop or Service, where the user can upload their file (flat or Excel), and bring that data into an existing report they have called up that is built off a cube, then they can use the Power BI tool to manipulate the flat file to be merged in to the existing report and do the samething as a SQL Join and there would be no need for such hard work around SSIS and SSAS modifications?

Many Thanks,

JPQ

[Seth_C_Bauer · Accepted solution]

@jpquinn You mention cube, so I assume the Power BI Report is using Live Connection, if that is the case, then "no", you can't import data and have a live connection to the cube. The connection type must remain the same and is a singular connection when connected to SSAS.

If the user is importing from the cube (don't see the relevance of this) then yes the user could have a seperate data source and create a relationship between objects in the Power BI file, or merge/manipulate in whatever way needed.

[jpquinn]

Thanks for this fast feedback. Yes, it would be Live Connection. So I guess I'm stuck going through with the original plan of SSIS/SSAS route and set it more in concrete.