How does a dataset on live connection work?

[ThomasVanhelden]

Hello

I have a Power BI report that creates a dataset in the Power BI Service. This Power BI report uses a live connection on a SQL Server Analysis Services (SSAS) tabular model as its source. I understand the principles of a live connection when connecting to a data source in your Power BI report. However, it's unclear how this translates to a dataset. 

Is the dataset then simply metadata on that live connection, or does it cache the data from that live connection? When the dataset is scheduled to refresh hourly, does it then only refresh the metadata, or does it retrieve the data again? If the dataset works on a live connection, does a Power BI report on this data also work on live data? 

Thank you for any help you can offer!

[ThomasVanhelden]

This was the explanation I was looking for. Thanks a lot! 

[v-zhangti]

Hi, @ThomasVanhelden 

A dataset is a cache of data from a live connection, and when the dataset is scheduled to refresh every hour, it is retrieving the data again. Power BI reports for this data also work with live data.

Please refer to the following links in the hopes of helping you.

What's the difference between live connections and DirectQuery? - Power BI | Microsoft Learn

Connect to datasets in the Power BI service from Power BI Desktop - Power BI | Microsoft Learn

Data refresh in Power BI - Power BI | Microsoft Learn

Best Regards,

Community Support Team _Charlotte

If this post helps, then please consider Accept it as the solution to help the other members find it more quickly.

[ThomasVanhelden]

So you're saying that even though it's a live connection, the dataset is still a cache (i.e., a point-in-time snapshot of the data in the SSAS tabular model)? That differs from the answer @ibarrau provided and confuses me. 

[ibarrau · Accepted solution]

Hi. If you have created a Power Bi Desktop file getting data with Live Connection to a SQL Server Analysis Services, then every process and calculation is done on the SQL Server side. The content you are seeing at Power Bi Service is just a dummy item to check metadata. Every click you are doing in the report at Power Bi Service is querying the local SSAS to get a response. The data refresh is responsability that SSAS must take.

There is another way to connect. You can get data from SSAS Importing data on a Power Bi Dataset. If you have created the Power Bi Desktop that way, then you are replicating the picked data and all processs is taken at Power Bi side. This is not recommended but I'm bringing this up because you have said something about the refresh of the Power Bi Dataset. This connecting will bring the reponsability to Power Bi dataset

I hope that helps, you can read more about the ways of connection from Microsoft docs, searching on google or my blog: https://blog.ladataweb.com.ar/post/611571936523436032/powerbi-tipos-de-conexión