OneDrive Excel to OneDrive pbix to Power BI Service

Hi zrichardson,

I will report this issue internally and post back once I get any updates.

Thanks,
Lydia Zhang

Hi zrichardson，

In your sceanrio, when you add new measures, change column names, or edit visualizations in Power BI Desktop file, once you save, those changes will be updated in Power BI , usually within about an hour. When you make changes in the Excel file, you can only manually refresh the dataset by using Refresh now or set up a refresh schedule by using Schedule Refresh. For more details, please review this article.

However, if you want to make Onedrive hourly refresh work after making changes to Excel file, please directly connect to the Excel file located at Onedrive for Business from Power BI Service rather than from Power BI Desktop.

Thanks,
Lydia Zhang

So you are telling me that if I want to have any measures, calculated columns, or custom visuals, I wouldn't be able to use the onedrive hourly refresh?

Thanks!

Hi zrichardson,

In your current sceanrio, when you add any measures, calculated columns, or custom visuals in Power BI Desktop file, you are able to use the onedrive hourly refresh.

Thanks,
Lydia Zhang

From what I am gathering, I can't have both.

If I want updated data every hour, I have to connect to excel through the service. 

If I want measures and columns, I need to connect to the power bi report through the service. 

Is there any way I can have both?

Thanks!

Hi zrichardson,

In your sceanrio, it is not possible to sync changes from Power BI Desktop file and Excel file with OneDrive Hourly Refresh at the same time,but you can also set "Schedule Refresh" for your dataset expect OneDrive Refresh.

Thanks,
Lydia Zhang

Hi,

I am a bit confused by these answers.  I have a similar issue:

1. Excel data file file stroed on onedrive for business

2. Powerbi Pro linked to excel file on Onedrive (using Gt Data > Web >url etc using OAuth2 credentials

3. Power BI Pro pbix stored on Onedrive.

4. Report published to Power BI service

5. Set up scheduled refresh (min update is 24 hours).  Also have Onedrive update (hourly) enabled

All good so far, in PowerBI service report has latest data

5. Add data to excel file on Onedrive.

6. In PowerBI Pro refresh report and see the latest data

7. In PowerBI Service - refesh but do not see new data

8. Wait an hour and refresh PowerBI service report - still not showing new data

9. I have not yet waited 24 hours to see if hte data is updated in PowerBi service

I had assumed that the hourly Onedrive refresh would update data and hence my report.

Is this the case please?  If not is there any way to update the PowerBi service report more frequently than 24 hours?

Thanks, Phillip

I need to use PowerBI Pro, for its additional capability

Yes, from what I have gathered, to get an hourly refresh of your OneDrive Excel data, you would have to be directly connected to it through the service. If you connect to the Power BI Desktop report, it will not be updated through the Power BI Hourly Update. If you make any changes to the Desktop Report, those will be picked up on the Hourly Update.

That was my thoughts exactly. If you didn't need calculated columns or measures, you could connect the Power BI Service straight to your excel sheet and have hourly updates, but as soon as you want to make any more complex report or use custom visuals, that plan goes out the window.