Forum Discussion
Where does the excel file data go?
Thanks Anonymous,
So, from your side note:
"(side note) - When you work with the Power BI Desktop, all your data is in your servers. It is only when you push to the Service that imported data is sent to the cloud."
Does this mean that if I start working in Power BI Desktop, use the GetData option to see info from an Excel file, that data is still not in the cloud? if that's the case, I could create a Dashboard in Power BI Desktop, save it in a Internal Network Drive and have somebody else from the organization open it if I want to share it with that person?
If this could work, what would be for us the use of the non-free middle version? the one that doesn't support the on-premises databases...I'm sorry if I still don't get it, but the Power BI where I am signing in and the Power BI Desktop look so similar to me. If we need to handle mostly confidential information, we should only stay either in the free version or the on-premises version, would that be correct?
If the free version could work for us, if I update from time to time the Excel file to used, within the same Internal Network Drive, when somebody opens the Power BI Desktop to see the dashboard, it should open with the updated file, right?
Thanks a lot again!
Brenda
Does this mean that if I start working in Power BI Desktop, use the GetData option to see info from an Excel file, that data is still not in the cloud? Yes
if that's the case, I could create a Dashboard in Power BI Desktop, save it in a Internal Network Drive and have somebody else from the organization open it if I want to share it with that person? Yes/No - The Desktop only creates reports. Dashboards are created in the Service only.
The Desktop is free. The subscription is for using the Service
The Desktop is the download. It allows you to model and build reports.
The Service also has the same report building capability, and it is where you can build dashboards and share.
The problem with only using the desktop is that you can't build dashboards, and any file you share can be modified by an end user. It would be the equivalent of just passing around an Excel file. So you can't connect and use Mobile devices etc as those are only tied into the Service/Dashboards.
There is a complete on premises solution coming with SSRS 2016, where you will be able to load your Desktop files to an SSRS server, but I don't know all the details or restrictions yet. SQL 2016 will release June 1st, 2016. I know I'm throwing alot at you, but there are a bunch of different options.
Thanks a lot Anonymous, I greatly appreciate all the info you've shared.
HI Anonymous,
Sorry to bother you again, but I think my new question is still related with what you mentioned yesterday...
Let say I create a report with Visualizations in Power BI Desktop by using the GetData option from an Excel file, but the Excel file gets modified either in structure (new column) or data, is there a way to get those updates into my report before publishing it into the service? in order to still keep my data local, at least for now.
Thanks a lot in advance!
Brenda
brendaivett No bother. You can refresh your data set at any time. Up in the "Home" tab of the top header toolbar you will see "Refresh" - just click that any time to update your dataset. Both data and column changes will appear in your Desktop file.
Anonymous, you just saved my life, thank you soooo much!
Brenda