Note: Microsoft recently changed the term for the Dataset row, (example: 2 in the image below); it is now called a 'Semantic model'. For our purposes here, there is no functional difference.


Pre-requisites for this part of the process are:

  • A report already synced to Power BI Online.

 

If you here because of a redirection after seeing the below text?

 

  1. This is the report (previously viewed in Power BI desktop before publishing); there is an opportunity to share this report, by hovering and selecting as appropriate.
  2. The main use – at least initially – is setting up how often your data from our secure data warehouse is refreshed. Click on the refresh icon, where you may need to enter login details, authorising Power BI to access said data. The tutorial for this can be viewed in Setting up Automatic Refresh.

The above is a recap, and can be otherwise ignored, if you haven't been directed from another document.


 

 

… Otherwise:

 

Power BI Online provides the facility to create workspaces, as explained in the tutorial: Power BI Online Workspaces and Users. You can have multiple workspaces. Any Workspace containing a data source (the red icon in the image above, numbered 2) will require the data to be refreshed. This can be done manually, but is most convenient when handled by automating the process, which this document deals with. It should be noted that a manual refresh still needs authentication details, which also form part of this document.

 

If your Workspace is like the one above, with just the one data source, the following processes will only need completing once. If, however, they are like the one in the image below, they will need completing for each dataset.

 

 

Hover the mouse over the Dataset row (red icon).

 

The three options shown are:

 

 

  1. Click this to force a manual refresh of the data.
  2. This is the Schedule Refresh, containing various options that will be discussed below.
  3. There are various options here, including ‘Delete’, should you wish to remove the data-source before publishing again for example. These are beyond the scope of this mini tutorial.

The highlighted circular progress bar indicates a refresh is already in process; sometimes a page refresh is required to display this correctly, as it can both linger and fail to appear for some seconds or longer.

 

 

 

Select option 2, Schedule Refresh, to display the following:

 

 

‘Refresh history’, is useful to check how refreshes are performing; perhaps you are running a refresh at the day’s start, and want to be sure it has finished before the data is required, and also to ensure it is not failing.

 

 

  

In the example below, three manual refreshes have been performed.

 

 

This is what is presented when none have yet occurred.

 

For a refresh to run successfully, the Data Source Credentials need to be updated; this is not normally required more than once for all the data sources in the same Workspace that also share the same credentials.

Select Edit Credentials as highlighted above.


… Then select Basic authentication method.

 

Username (1) and Password (2) can be obtained from the Report Credentials in your Tugger as shown below.   

 

Note: if you have multiple Tugger connectors, or have used OData links from a different source, you may wish to confirm that the OData link in the image below (1) matches the partially displayed one in the image above (named: URL).


 

Ensure the Privacy level is set up as appropriate, which is likely to be at least Organisational (3).

When you are sure the details are correct, Sign In (4).

 

You may be asked if you wish to save the details (image below); do NOT save them.

 

 

After this, expand Scheduled Refresh as indicated.

 

Turn the slider for Schedule Refresh to ‘On’ (1).

 

  1. Turn Refresh On/Off.
  2. Refresh Frequency.
  3. Time zone.
  4. Add up to eight times for refresh (Pro licence); see image below for more details.
  5. Defaults to the dataset owner; others can be notified if required.
  6. Apply when ready.

Adding times to the Schedule Refresh

 

Once you have Applied the changes, the next refresh is displayed; select the workspace to view as below.

 

This concludes the refresh setup process, repeat as required for all datasets.