Report only refresh by on-demand data refresh

[Ecosurety_BI]

Hi,

• We have a report in PowerBi cloud service that has it's Excel (2016) data source sitting in OneDrive for business.
• We operates the latest (July 2019) on-premise gateway in order to use the automatic sheduled refresh.
• The scheduled refresh history shows a successful refresh three time a day.
• The time zone in the Scheduled refresh section is set to UTC dublin, Edinburgh ect' (we are in the UK)
• The data source included in the dataset is pointing to the local OneDrive FB file {c:\\users\\username\\onedrive-company name\\folder name\\exceldatasource.xlsx} and this is what prescribed in the on-premise gateway
• The global permissions of the data source pointing correctly to https://companyname-my.sharepoint.com 
• The Scheduled data refresh history is showing as successful for every time point prescribed 
• Data source credentials has ' admin has granted access, credentials are not required'
• Problem: The visuals in the report feeding off the above data-set in the PowerBi service do not change unless we run an on-demand refresh to the said data-set (ellipsis of the report from workspace -> REFRESH NOW)
• We have this report as an element pinned as a live page to a dashboard element in our work space

Once the REFRESH-NOW is pressed the visuals in the report change correctly

What are we doing wrong?

Danny

[Anonymous]

Hi @Ecosurety_BI ,

What connector you're used to get data from onedrive? Web connector or onedrive connector?
If you mean web connector, power bi will use onedrive refresh to handle this data source, it not managed by scheduler refresh.(it works on your local excel file)

Regards,

Xiaoxin Sheng

[Ecosurety_BI]

Hi,

When you say 'connector' what do you mean?

The file was created originally on the server in PowerBi desktop and published to the Workspace online where a data source pointing to OneDrive was added to the Gateway.

In the refresh history there are two sections: Scheduled refresh and OneDrive refresh.

The Scheduled refresh history shows the three times per day activities as 'succesful' but in the OneDrive refresh there is only the original publish date of the 26.06.19.

Sorry but the use of the term 'Connector' doesn't bring much in the PowerBi help file, is this a new term? If it is then please let me know what it is.

Thanks

[Ecosurety_BI]

Sorted by changing the data source to Web, pasting the Excel file OneDrive web address (see some videops online how to do this). You will need to do this in the desktop app and save (no need to publish).

I then pulled the  above OneDrive hosted PBIX file into the cloud Pbi service using the 'Get Data' link selecting OneDrive FB as a source.

Then had to go to the settings in Pbi cloud, clicked the 'datasets' section and enable the scheduled Refresh with few refresh points throughout the day for that particular Dataset. I also made sure that 'OneDrive Refresh' is switched on.

Only then the so called 'OnedDrive refresh' started to work.

To summarise: if your file is on OneDrive you do not need a gateway configured but the misleading term 'OneDrive Refresh' is actually a 'Sheduled Refresh' but without a gateway, not enabling 'Sheduled Refresh' will keep the visuals out of date, enabling the 'Sheduled Refresh' will carry to the report over any changes made to the data source in OneDrive.

God help us how bad is some of the help files in PowerBi, misleading terms, half baked instructions and options all over the place in an unstructured way.

My 2p if you want to have OneDrive as the dynamic data source for a visible web presented report in PowerBI make sure

1) That your authentication is right

2) Do not use the desktop app to publish to the web (if you want the report visible online) but use the PowerBI portal to import the PBIX file  that already contain the web based (OneDrive FB) data source

3) The most important thing, ignore the advise about on-premise gateway for OneDrive hosted files and enable the 'Shedule Refresh' + make sure 'OneDrive Refresh' is switched to 'on'.

[Anonymous]

HI @Ecosurety_BI ,

I'm not so recommend you to upload your pbix file to onedrive and use power bi to get data.
After your steps, report dataset will handle by onedrive refresh, but onedrive refresh not triggered when datasource who used to create pbix report refreshed.
It need you to manually upload new version pbix file to replace old one to active refresh. (pbix file not able to auto updated)

Use OneDrive for Business links in Power BI Desktop

In addition, you can also open a support ticket to get better support for power bi team.(it is free to pro and above licenses)

submit a support ticket

Regards,

Xiaoxin Sheng

[Ecosurety_BI]

Hi,

Sorry but although I am not speaking English natively I find it fairly difficult to understand what you are trying to convey with this answer.

As I mentioned above, I managed to sort it with the steps I listed.

The workflow on how to get a PowerBi slide loaded to the cloud service to auto update is mired in confusion and it is convoluted to say the least.

I will try to list here what I think you are trying to say, so please correct me if I am wrong:

To get a OD refresh to work 'out of the box' one should load a PBIX that doesn't have a data source bundled with it.

Once you upload you can connect it to a data source residing in on OneDrive without needing to do much more.

What is working for me is to use the 'get data' option to import a pbix that has a data source bundled or 'connected' to (OD file link is copied to the data source section as 'web'), then set the permissions and switch on the 'sheduled refresh' (OD hourly refresh is already switched on), not doing the last step doesn't refresh the data set.

I wish there was a comprehansive guide to Pbi in plain English.