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Dageda's avatar
Dageda
New Member
1 year ago
Solved

Query for Dataflow usage by others

How can I query a dataflow as it is being used by other users, such as refresher records in powerbi desktop or excel?
Dataflow
  • Dageda's avatar
    Dageda
    1 year ago

    Thanks all,

        I think my question is not clear, I need to know who uses the dataflow I published,
    I've found a way to do it and share it with you:
    1: Enter the "Admin monitoring" workspace in Fabric, view the "Analysis" in the "Feature Usage and Adoption" report, and roughly understand the usage of each user by filtering the used user activities.This pertains to whether the account holds administrative privileges.

     


    2: Through the Microsoft audit log to view，

    https://purview.microsoft.com/

     

     

Poojara_D12's avatar
Poojara_D12
Super User
1 year ago

Hi Dageda 

To query a Power BI Dataflow while it is being used by other users or during a refresh, you can use DirectQuery for Dataflows (if available) or connect via Power BI Desktop or Excel. Here are some options:

1. Connect to Dataflow in Power BI Desktop

  • Open Power BI Desktop
  • Click on Get Data → Select Power BI Dataflows
  • Sign in with your credentials and select the desired dataflow
  • Load the data in Import Mode (snapshot at refresh time) or DirectQuery Mode (if supported, allows real-time querying without importing all data)

2. Query Dataflow in Excel (via Power Query)

  • Open Excel
  • Go to Data → Click Get Data → From Power Platform → From Dataflows
  • Sign in and choose the dataflow you need
  • Load the data into Excel for analysis

3. Use Power BI REST API for Real-time Querying

  • If you need to track refresh status or query data dynamically, you can use the Power BI REST API to check the refresh status or retrieve data.
  • Use the “Get Dataflow Transactions” API to track refresh history and errors.

4. Check Refresh Activity in Power BI Service

  • Go to Power BI Service (app.powerbi.com)
  • Navigate to Workspaces → Select Dataflow → Refresh History
  • Here, you can check when the last refresh happened and if there were any issues.

5. Workaround Using Azure Storage (for Enhanced Querying)

  • If your organization uses Azure Data Lake Storage (ADLS) Gen2 as the storage for dataflows, you can directly query data from Azure Storage Explorer or Azure Synapse Analytics for more efficient access.

If your goal is to monitor refresh activity while others are using it, the Power BI REST API or the Refresh History tab in Power BI Service would be the best options. However, for querying live data while ensuring it is up to date, DirectQuery for Dataflows (if supported in your environment) is the most effective approach.