Integration between powerbi service and powerbi desktop

[amit_official]

Hi, I have following few queries related to integration between powerbi service and powerbi desktop

• When a report is built in powerbi desktop using import connection type and published to powerbi service
• Does the source data gets copied over to desktop machine where report is being built?
• And when report is published to powerbi.com will the report’s semantic model contain copy of the same source data?
• Please confirm here is the data going to reside when its in powerbi.com
• When a report is built in powerbi desktop using direct query connection type and published  to powerbi service
• Does the source data gets copied over to desktop machine where report is being built?
• And when report is published to powerbi.com will the report’s semantic model contain copy of the same source data?
• Please confirm here is the data going to reside when its in powerbi.com
• If a report (pbix file) is built in old version of desktop (say Apr 2022), will there be any compatibility issue when its published to powerbi.com and will there any issue around compatibility going fwd in future.

[amit_official]

Thanks Pijush for your answer.

I have a followup question

A report using direct query when viewed by multiple users lets say 10, will it create 10 connections to source DB to query data for their report view? Reading thru the article you shared it seems it will create multiple connection as and when multiple views of the report will be triggered.

It says "Unlike Import mode, which operates on a snapshot of your data, Direct Query establishes a live connection to your data source."

However it doesnt answer part of my query if report with import data is published to powerbi.com, will the semantic model also have a copy of data?

[PijushRoy]

Hi @amit_official 

If you have 10 users, when you open the report in Power BI service, Power BI fetch data from Data source 10 times and show the report to report viewer. 
Connection is always 1 but fetching data from data source is 10

Yes in import mode Semantic model as well holds data

Hope that helps

If your requirement is solved, please mark THIS ANSWER as SOLUTION

[PijushRoy · Accepted solution]

Hi @amit_official 

Please go through the awesome articles between Import & Direct Query 
https://blog.enterprisedna.co/power-bi-import-vs-direct-query/#:~:text=two%20modes%20apart.-,1.,the%....

1. Import Mode - Once imported, the data is stored in an internal data model within the Power BI file, and any changes or modifications are made to the local copy of the imported data, not the data itself.

2. Direct Query Mode - Direct Query, on the other hand, leaves the data at the source and queries it on the fly as needed. 
3. Using of older version arise compatibility issue in future.

Let me know if that works for you

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Thanks
Pijush
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