Can "Viewer" access users manually refresh semantic models in a PBI Service workspace?

[DavidZee]

Title is pretty self-explanatory. We built out a report (PBI service) with the intent of having users refresh its semantic model manually whenever the ingested dataset changes (self-serviced by users, loaded - not direct query). The problem is users with "Viewer" access can only refresh visuals on-demand, not the semantic model behind the dashboard, without paid "Contributor" access.

Is there any way of having user "Viewers" manually refresh the semantic model on-demand without paid licenses? Alternately, is it possible to set a PBI service report to refresh automatically whenever the report is opened, or detect and refresh anytime changes (csv files on a SAS server) occur in back-end data?

[aj1973]

Hi @DavidZee 

By default to refresh a dataset in the service a user must take over the Ownership of it. This is not possible for Users in plural and with Workspace Role Viewer. 

Other option is to use Power automate but this is a paid service.

The best option in your described affair is to set a Direct Query connection on your model, that way the report is refreshed whenever a user act on it.

[DavidZee]

Back-end data used by our semantic model comes from an on-prem CSV. Is there any way to configure a Direct Query connection for a CSV datasource, or does it have to be a database?