PowerBI Service - Direct OneDrive connection link, not import. Service Changes?

[BenJAPL]

Hi all,

It seems the "data discovery" and "get data" landing pages in service have changed recently. 

Previously, you could select "get data" select OneDrive for business and choose to either import and link to a OneDrive for business file, instead of manipulating onedrive/sharepoint urls which is not user friendly. This method would set you up with an auto onedrive refresh under the dataset on an hourly interval. 

Now, when you create a new dataset, it automatically presents you with what you have access to online, by default it opens up "my files" which have all the onedrive content displayed, which seems great on first glance. However, its import only?

When proceeding to create the dataset, checking its settings, it has a OneDrive auto refresh toggle enabled, so it feels like it could still be seeding from OneDrive and updating. However, the dataset does not update. If you manually refresh, it does not update. 

Anyone else with the same issue? or can someone point towards an article stating when this changed? I can't find anything under announcments and I last used this last week.

Thanks

[BenJAPL]

Thank you for your reply, it is much appreciated.

Import and link has always been different to my knowledge? You used to get two options to pick from when connecting to OneDrive for business as a data source option. 

"the default data refresh mode is OneDrive Refresh." It brings up the OneDrive "my files screen" and when selecting the file, it states import only.  After import, you get the OneDrive refresh toggle in the dataset properties, but it just doesn't update even when edited as suggested. Not every hour, not even the manual refresh which you can now do, which I don't believe was possible before as it was supposed to auto update every hour. 

Regardless of my current issue, for absolute clarification...

I should be able to select a file directly from my OneDrive (which is my default list view after selecting get data from excel)

The file will import with what it has at the time, but will also refresh every hour but only if the file has been modified?

Thanks again for your input!

Ben

[v-yueyunzh-msft]

Hi, @BenJAPL 

Based on my tests, the entry to "Get Data" now becomes "New a dataset":

But the logic for connecting OneDrive or SharePoint in Power BI Spy has never changed, and his connection mode has always been import.

And connect on Power Bi Service, the default data refresh mode is OneDrive Refresh.

Unlike a dataset refresh during which Power BI imports data from a data source into a dataset, OneDrive refresh synchronizes datasets and reports with their source files. By default, Power BI checks about every hour if a dataset connected to a file on OneDrive or SharePoint Online requires synchronization.

Also, if your file is not updated in your OneDrive, the dataset will not be refreshed, because it preferentially checks whether the file has changed, and only the change will trigger this refresh.

Thank you for your time and sharing, and thank you for your support and understanding of PowerBI! 

Best Regards,

Aniya Zhang

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