Forum Discussion
changing linked PBI model data source from desktop
I am having a hard time figuring out if I am using the PowerBI service data source correctly. Right now we open Desktop, go to PowerBI service and find our workspace and choose one of our models to build a report against. We like this option as it allows multiple users to write reports without having to be in the model file itself. However, we have several models that are built exactly the same but just filtered differently. In the past with SSAS, we would go to edit queries and change to a different model and the reports would magically update against the new model. However with PowerBI service, it appears the Edit Query option is greyed out and I cannot change which model my desktop report is built against? Does anyone know if this will get fixed or any work arounds? It is going to set us back quite a bit to have to rebuild our reports against every different cut of the models?
It looks like this has been fixed with the August release Desktop using generally released Power BI Service. Now you can edit your query properties and change connections to another workspace and/or model.
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The original data model was created in desktop but we have several different data models that we have loaded to a workspace. One for spine, one for cardiac, one for oncology, etc. I don't build the report WITHIN the data model file itself, I go to a new pbix file from desktop, use Power BI Service as a data source, go to the workspace and connect to the cardiac model. I probably do this for 5 or 6 different types of reports that I want to build off of cardiac. Then when i want to switch those 5 or 6 reports to point to spine, i cannot edit the query for the data source to do so.
Oh, so you have several similar data models for different departments, and you want to create essentially identical reports for each one? Create one report, then switch the source and have it pick up the same shape of data from a different place? I don't think that's possible. If it were me, I'd have created one big master data model that has all the departments so that I could create a report that was filtered on something like DepartmentTable[DepartmentName] = "Spine" for instance to DepartmentTable[DepartmentName] ="Cardiac".
The only workaround I can think of is to create one report and save it as a template file, then connect a copy of that to a new source. I have no idea if this would work; I haven't used templates before. But it might be worth a try.Edit: it would seem I have misunderstood how template files work. Nevermind.
Hi sbroaden,
Current get data from service only support live connection, these editor functions will be disabled on live mode.
For your scenario, you can try to save your original report as template, the modify on it.
Deep Dive into Query Parameters and Power BI Templates
Regards,
Xiaoxin Sheng
