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iBusinessBI's avatar
iBusinessBI
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2 years ago

Semantic model refresh fails only when scheduled, succeeds when refreshed manually in Service

I have a Semantic Model that connects to the Salesforce via Gateway. When I refresh it by manually clicking Refresh Now - it succsessfully refreshes. But when I schedule refresh - it fails with Sal...
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QueryWhiz's avatar
QueryWhiz
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1 year ago

Hi iBusinessBI were you able to find a solution? As a workaround, maybe you can try to test your connection with a 3rd party connector, which pulls data directly from the SF objects API and should refresh fine when publishing it on PBI service. I've tried windsor.ai, supermetrics and funnel.io. I stayed with windsor because it is much cheaper so just to let you know other options. In case you wonder, to make the connection first search for the Salesforce connector in the data sources list:

 

 

After that, just grant access to your Salesforce account using your credentials, then on preview and destination page you will see a preview of your Salesforce fields:

 

 

 There just select the fields you need. It is also compatible with custom fields and custom objects, so you'll be able to export them through windsor.  Finally, just select PBI as your data destination and finally just copy and paste the url on PBI --> Get Data --> Web --> Paste the url. 

 

  • metrica's avatar
    metrica
    Icon for Post Prodigy rankPost Prodigy
    5 months ago

    Hi iBusinessBI,

     

    The manual-vs-scheduled difference comes from how Power BI handles OAuth2 tokens. Manual refresh runs right after you've interactively re-authorized in Service, so the access token is fresh. Scheduled refresh runs hours later, when that token has already expired - at that point Power BI tries to use the OAuth2 refresh token to get a new one, and that's where it usually breaks.

     

    The typical fix is on the Salesforce side: in Setup → App Manager → Power BI (Connected App) → Manage → Edit Policies, set Refresh Token Policy to "Refresh token is valid until revoked". Default in many orgs is "immediately expire", which works for interactive but kills scheduled refresh. Also confirm the user's Session Policy doesn't invalidate refresh tokens on IP/device change.

     

    If the native Power BI Connected App isn't visible in OAuth Policies (which happens in some orgs), or you'd prefer fuller control over the connection's auth behavior, Metrica Power BI Connector for Salesforce on AppExchange installs its own Connected App that admins can configure directly - including refresh token policy and session handling, so scheduled refresh behaves predictably.

     

    Free 30-day trial if you'd like to test it on your own setup. Setup guides at https://metricasoftware.com/, demo available on request.

     

    Cheers,

    Metrica Team.