backup & recovery

[DavidMoss]

After creating Power BI (PBI) datamodel & dashboards on PBI Desktop and publishing (some via content packs) what are our backup and recovery options?

Conscious that end users create their own bespoke reports in the PBI service based on the initial dashboard/datamodel/content pack.

What are best practice backup procedures or does the Power BI platform on azure automatically manage backup & recovery ?

From an internal IT admin point of view : Obviously we can save local versions of the initial PBI desktop .pbix file as a backup…my question refers more to end user bespoke reports created in their PBI service. How do we manage & control these backups ?

Any suggestions are much appreciated…

[GilbertQ]

Hi there

As far as I am aware all the Power BI artifacts leverage the different Azure platforms, so that would mean that the data is persisted into Azure SQL Databases. So that would be where you could find information in terms of how data is backed up and restored in terms of Azure SQL Databases.

I am also going to go out and guess that the Power BI platform also uses Azure Analysis Services, which once again there will be details on how Azure Analysis Services is managed. And due to the way the data is being moved between being stored in Azure SQL databases and a form of Azure Analysis services, that should give a clearer indication of how the data is managed by Microsoft.

I do recall off the top of my head (And I stand to be corrected) is that local copies of data in Azure SQL database have 3 local copies stored, as well as a redundant copy in another data centre.

[deepu299]

I think, the problem is, when a copy is accidentally deleted by any user, all the copies will be deleted because of the sync between data centers. These 3 copies are useful only when there is a failure from Azure side, not from client side. 

[GilbertQ]

For sure, that is why I guess it would be good if the PBIX had version control so you could easily upload the current or previous option.

[bmc222]

Looking at the API, this gives me a list of all workbooks by ID:

http://<SERVERNAME>/Reports/api/v2.0/catalogitems

And then this is a direct link to download (replace the 1s with the ID):

http://<SERVERNAME>/Reports/api/v2.0/catalogitems(111111-1111-1111-1111-1111111111)/Content/$value

[deepu299]

We have asked this question to Microsoft and they mentioned that there is no strategy to take a backup, to migrate between tentants and to recover. This is definitely a need for any project. One thing we are trying to do and asking users to do is to connect or build the model in Power BI desktop, build any reports in desktop and publish to the service (We have 2 tenants and no way to migrate code between them). This way we minimize the risk as we have backups saved. There will definitely be a rework when we accidentally delete the content but atleast there is some backup to start with. Dashboards and Security part need to be done again. 

Microsoft should think of something to backup the code from Service so customers can atleast maintain the backups on premises. 

[mz180w]

Unfortunately, developing reports in Desktop, then publishing to Web Service is the only option to accomodate for the lack of a backup/recovery strategy.

So then collaborative report development means managing multiple copies of the PBIX amongst the report developer community - with each PBIX / Dataset named differently.

Takes me back to the days of networking files & applications by sharing floppy disks amongst the collection of IBM AT PCs (i.e old skool style!).

[mz180w]

What are the options for back-up/recovery for a Web Service Report that's created against the Dataset?

This is the case where report developers will be creating multiple Web Service Reports against a Dataset and it's entirely possible that one of them could delete not only their Report but someone else's Report stored in the same App Workspace.

We've been told by an on-site technical resource "Don't do that" (thank you, doctor).

There's no capabilty of saving the Web Service Report into another App Workspace and there's no option to download the Web Service Report.

Microsoft needs to step up with a solution to this issue PDQ!

[anmsharma]

Hi Team,

Could you please assist on this point. Our users are concerned about this.

Thanks

[chienim]

I accidently found this topic and totally agree with the author and replies.

Nowadays users and clients are all awaring business continuity plan and of course PBI is also something people want to have a back up once any disaster happens. This should be an important feature in all aspects.

Adding to this topic, looking at the whole architecture, I'd also like to know what's the backup procedure at Microsoft side if the data stored in cloud encounters any risk?

[tcash]

I agree with the author and the recent reply.   This is an important issue that we need some feedback on.   I understand that since Octobe we can download a PBIX that we have uploaded and modified.   But, what about other users who create custom reports based upon an organizational content pack.    If I accidentally delete the dataset that is the source of the content pack....poof!....all custom reports are gone and irretrievable even after I recreate the dataset and put it back in the content pack.  Or, if I accidentally delete the Content Pack itself....whoops, all custom reports based upon that pack are gone forever.

[eduardo_angelo]

Someone Power Bi Microsoft technical support could answer this question? A simple click on "remove" can do great damage in all panels and reports built...