Difference between One drive refresh and Scheduled Refresh

[Thiyagu]

Hi All,'

Just for understanding, what is the difference between One drive refresh and Scheduled Refresh?

I have a report which is uploaded from one drive to workspace and i have enable one drive refresh ON.

Also i have scheduled refresh ON (On-Premises data) using On-Premises gateway on daily twice.. 

Just want to know, if i disable one drive refresh then what will be the issue

Thanks

[v-yuta-msft · Accepted solution]

Hi Thiyagu,

Based on my test, if you replace a PBIX file which has been imported into PBI with another PBIX file in onedrive, this will have no effect on the original PBIX or the loaded report. The data in the loaded report will be updated when data in data source is changed through gateway.

Regards,

Jimmy Tao

[Burningsuit]

If you have data on OneDrive used in a Power BI report, by default, if the data on OneDrive changes, it will update the Power BI data model. This happens hourly. If all your data is on OneDrive, you don't need a gateway or scheduled refresh.

A gateway, personal or enterprise, is necessary if you have data locally on a harddrive or server. Once a gateway is in place, scheduled refreshes (up to 8 in 24 hours with a minimum of 30 minutes between each) will use the gateway to update the data model.

So if all your data is on OneDrive, you don't need a gateway and scheduled refreshes, just use the OneDrive refresh.

In your case, if you disable OneDrive refresh it'll go through the gateway refeshing on the schedule you've set up.

If it were me, I'd dispence with the Gateway, and just let OneDrive refesh do it's thing, much easier and avoids problems with the gateway not running etc.

Stuart

[Thiyagu]

Hi @Burningsuit

Thank you for your response. I'm not using any source from one drive, i have a data in our server so i need Gateway here.

I have placed my pbix file in workspace one drive. And i load the report to my workspace from onedrive (Get Data --> One Drive-Workspace-->Choose report--> Connect.

So my question is, if incase i have replaced my pbix file in one drive (Same report name). What will happen to my loaded report in workspace?

Thanks,

Thiyaga

[Burningsuit]

If you upload a PBIX from OneDrive, Service wll keep the connection, and if you update or change the PBIX those changes are replicated into the cloud within the hour. However if you delete, rename or replace the file on OneDrive, it seems this connection is broken and the Service report will no longer be updated.

So if you replace your PBIX on OneDrive with a file of the same name, you have broken the link and replication will no longer take place. If you simply edit the file one OneDrive the updates will get replicated to the Service.

Stuart

[Burningsuit]

If you upload a PBIX from OneDrive, Service wll keep the connection, and if you update or change the PBIX those changes are replicated into the cloud within the hour. However if you delete, rename or replace the file on OneDrive, it seems this connection is broken and the Service report will no longer be updated.

So if you replace your PBIX on OneDrive with a file of the same name, you have broken the link and replication will no longer take place. If you simply edit the file one OneDrive the updates will get replicated to the Service.

Stuart

[OneWithQuestion]

Follow up question:

If you host a file in SPO in a document library, does that also work or do you HAVE to use OneDrive?

Say I wanted to upload 3 Excel files, I know I can put them in OneDrive and connect.

What if I need to put them in a SPO team or group site...can I put them in the Document Library there and refresh off them just like it was One Drive?

[Burningsuit]

Provided it is SharePoint Online (In the Microsoft Cloud, not hosted on-premise) You can host files in a SharePoint Library, and refresh them from there. In the SharePoint case, you'll set up refresh on the Dataset uploaded to Power BI, you specify a "Direct Connection" - no gateway needed, and store the Data Source Credentials (the login you use to SharePoint)  then set up the refresh schedule. (Again maximum 8 refreshes in 24 hours, with a minimum of 30 minutes between refreshes.

The diference with OneDrive is that it updates hourly, and does not need to store credentials (it uses your Power BI login details to OneDrive) With SharePoint Online it needs the login credentials, and uses the Refresh schedule.

As a "rule of thumb" if the data is already in the cloud (SharePoint Online, OneDrive, Google Analytics, Salesforce Online etc. etc) no gateway is needed. Gateways are required if the data is held locally on-premise.

Hope this helps

Stuart