Sharing data sets

[jerics99]

Hi,

What is the easiest way of sharing a dataset deployed as pbix file, I would like my colleagues at my organization to connect to the dataset from Excel at their local laptops over internet and run Pivot tables with the data set in Power Bi Services as external data source. I have tried to share the data by using Group Workspaces but I am not sure if that works, and the users need to buy Pro license as far as I understand?

Is there anyway to share a data set with colleagues that use the free license, for example by Content Packs?

Sharing reports and dashboards, should this be done by using Content Packs?

Cheers

[CheenuSing]

Hi Jerics99,

I am also facing the same challenge of creating a organisation content pack and asking my colleagues to download. 

The downloading portion is successful. Power BI does not seen to allow refreshing the data by my colleauges using their local excel file.  

Did you manage to find a solution to this ?  

Appreciate if you can share the details.

Best

CheenuSing

[jerics99]

Hi CheenuSing,

No, but I got the infromation that thsi should be made available during this summer (2016).

Lets hope that happens.

Kind REgards,

-Eric

[v-yuezhe-msft · Accepted solution]

Hi @jerics99,

Content Packs are only available when you and your colleagues have Power BI Pro. Reference: https://powerbi.microsoft.com/en-us/documentation/powerbi-service-organizational-content-packs-intro... .

As you want to share a dataset with colleagues that use the free license, you can copy the PBIX file out to a folder and share the folder to your colleagues, from my point of perspective, this is what smoupre means by sharing. There is no option in Power BI desktop to share PBIX file.

Thanks,
Lydia Zhang

[jerics99]

Re: Sharing data sets

Options

‎05-23-2016 10:07 AM

Thanks for your response Lydia. Buying the Pro licenses is definitly an option, we are allready trying it. However we have not been able to share datasets even with the Pro licenses...?

Background: I would like to let different users in my organization use excel pivot tables using a shared dataset as data source. I have not managed to get that to work though. I have published at Power BI Desktop model to Power BI, but unfortunately I am the only user that can query the data set even though its included in a Group shared with other users....?

For your information. Our initial plan was to set up a virtual machine with SSAS in our Azure instanse, but it got failry expensive so we instead thought that Power BI would be a better alternative.

Kind Regards,

-Eric

[jerics99]

Thanks for your response Lydia. Buying the Pro licenses is definitly an option, we are allready trying it. However we have not been able to share datasets even with the Pro licenses...?

Background: I would like to let different users in my organization use excel pivot tables using a shared dataset as data source. I have not managed to get that to work though. I have published at Power BI Desktop model to Power BI, but unfortunately I am the only user that can query the data set even though its included in a Group shared with other users....?

For your information. Our initial plan was to set up a virtual machine with SSAS in our Azure instanse, but it got failry expensive so we instead thought that Power BI would be a better alternative.

Kind Regards,

-Eric

[jerics99]

Thanks for your response Lydia. Buying the Pro licenses is definitly an option, we are allready trying it. However we have not been able to share datasets even with the Pro licenses...?

Background: I would like to let different users in my organization use excel pivot tables using a shared dataset as data source. I have not managed to get that to work though. I have published at Power BI Desktop model to Power BI, but unfortunately I am the only user that can query the data set even though its included in a Group shared with other users....?

For your information. Our initial plan was to set up a virtual machine with SSAS in our Azure instanse, but it got failry expensive so we instead thought that Power BI would be a better alternative.

Kind Regards,

-Eric

[ankitpatira]

@jerics99

I haven't tested it but think it will work. You should create a report and publish that to power bi service. Then share that report with your colleagues which will give them access to your dataset though they can't see it listed under their datasets. Then they should be able to use Analyze in Excel feature which will let them connect to the published dataset from excel on desktop. Only thing I'm not sure of is if Analyze in Excel feature will be available with shared report since your colleagues won't be the owner of report. You can test this out and let us know.

[ankitpatira]

@jerics99 Unfortunately Analyze in Excel is not available with shared reports. Therefore you won't be able to use the way I suggested. Do as @Greg_Deckler said.

[Greg_Deckler]

Probably not other than to share the PBIX file if you use Desktop. Group Workspaces are the intended vehicle for that but, yes, you need Pro to use that.

[jerics99]

Hi,

Actually can you  describe what you mean by Sharing, is there an option in Power BI desktop that you refer to? Or do you mean that by just adding the data set to Power Bi it gets avalable for collegues to query?

Regards