Simple DataFlow Failing Refresh

[seattle3]

I created a Data Flow Gen 1 flow (with a Pro license) using an Excel spreadsheet I have in SharePoint. I am just connecting to the XL file and selecting two tables from the spreadsheet and saving that as the data flow.

When I refresh this new data flow though it gives an error in one of my tables. Downloading the failure isn't helpful as it contains no data except for a Request ID and Activity ID in the Error column. (ex: Error: Request ID: dbfbb8c9-b1d3-27c0-decd-a49750caec07 Activity ID: d397ecc2-1c3d-42a6-9bf9-ba0600b26736)

If I create a data flow with just one of the tables than I can create the data flow successfully and refresh it (for both tables). It only seems to be when I have both tables in my flow.

Any ideas on why something so simple might be failing? Also, any idea on how to get more detailed error?

[V-yubandi-msft]

Hi @seattle3 ,

As we haven’t heard back from you, we wanted to kindly follow up to check if the solution we provided for your issue worked for you  or let us know if you need any further assistance?

Your feedback is important to us, Looking forward to your response. 

[V-yubandi-msft]

Hi @seattle3 ,

I hope this information is helpful. Please let me know if you have any further questions or if you'd like to discuss this further. If this answers your question, please Accept it as a solution and give it a 'Kudos' so others can find it easily.

Thank you.

[V-yubandi-msft]

Hi @seattle3 ,

May I ask if you have resolved this issue? If so, please mark the helpful reply and accept it as the solution. This will be helpful for other community members who have similar problems to solve it faster.

[V-yubandi-msft]

Hi @seattle3 ,

I would like to add a few more points to @seattle3 , solution for better clarity and completeness.

Ensure both tables have the same column names and data types, as mismatched schemas can cause refresh failures.

For Pro users, refresh failures might occur due to compute engine limits.

1. If you're using Power BI Pro - Turn off the Enhanced Compute Engine in Dataflow settings.

2. If you're on Power BI Premium -  Enable the Compute Engine for better performance.

Using query folding improves refresh speed by pushing data transformations to the source. Also, confirm Power BI has the correct permissions to access the file. Check the error logs for detailed information to identify the issue.

If the tables refresh properly on their own, the problem might be when processing them together.

Refresh each table individually to find the troublesome step.If the issue only occurs during merging, try simplifying the transformation steps.

If my response resolved your query, kindly mark it as the Accepted Solution to assist others. Additionally, I would be grateful for a 'Kudos' if you found my response helpful.

[seattle3]

Thanks @V-yubandi-msft  for the pointers. Power BI should have the correct permissions to access the file (otherwise how would I be able to see the file contents when creating the data flow?).

I didn't add any transformation steps, all I did was create a data flow select two tables from my XL file and saved. Power BI auto added changing the column types, but that's it.

When you say to check the error logs for detailed information how do I do that? The Excel "report" I get when looking at the refresh history just tells me the table name (which has no transformations beyond loading the table and setting the column types) and the error is just the request id and activity id.

[V-yubandi-msft]

You are correct if Power BI allows access to the file during dataflow creation, permissions are likely not the issue. Since the only transformations involve setting column types, the problem may be elsewhere.

1. Check Power BI Admin Portal Logs (if you have admin access) for detailed error messages.

2.  Refresh each table separately to see if a specific table is causing the issue when both are combined.

Thanks...

[Akash_Varuna · Accepted solution]

Hi @seattle3 It might be a processing issue when handling multiple tables in the dataflow. Since each table refreshes fine individually, try refreshing them separately to identify the issue. You can check Refresh History under Dataflow settings for more details or test the query in Power Query Editor for errors.