Is it possible to change SQL statement of the dataset via API call?
My Scenario: I have data in multiple tables in SQL Server. I have created a SQL query with joins to fetch the required data. I created a SQL server dataset by providing that query in the SQL Statement section and published it on the Power BI workspace. Now, I want to modify that SQL Statment programmatically.
I want to import this same .pbix file to create different datasets. The Idea is to use import date set api to import this dummy dataset and then programmatically change the db source and the SQL Statment, to customizes it for my different report need.
Any pointer or help is much appreciated.
For server name and database name, you can simply use parameters. Click the button to the left of the field to do this. You can make some changes in the query using parameters too, but this isn't very flexible. This can be done by defining text parameter and using it in in the M statement associated with the dataset’s Source step. For more information you may see this article:
https://www.red-gate.com/simple-talk/sql/bi/power-bi-introduction-working-with-parameters-in-power-bi-desktop-part-4/
Then you can use the Rest API to modify parameter values and refresh your datasets. You will need Update Parameters In Group and Refresh Dataset In Group API calls.
At of this writing, this is not supported by the Power BI REST API.
Possible workaround: Given you're using SQL Server, I'd suggest you create a VIEW in SQL Server with the statement you defined in your Power BI report, and change your report to point to that view instead.
Then, to modify the SQL statement, you just have to ALTER the view in the database.
Related
I am trying to create PowerBI Datamart from Azure Analyis service. There is a datamodel available in the Azure Analysis Service and I can connect using URL and Database Name. The datamodel has ~100 tables present in it and relationship also setup. So my question is, if I want to create a PowerBI datamart from the Azure Analyis service datamode, I need to do the Get Data option of PowerBI datamart and connect to Azure Analyis service, select table, select fields 100 time for getting all the tables of Azure Analyis service datamode into my PowerBI datamart? Is there any import function available where I can import all the tables in a single time?
Why do you want to copy data from AAS into a database?
The reason you find it difficult is that it's an odd thing to do. The query designer for AAS/SSAS generates MDX queries which are indented to run aggregate queries that return a handful of rows, and are wholly unsuitable for extracting whole tables. If you try, the queries will just run forever and fail.
It's possible to extract data from AAS/SSAS tabular models, but you must use DAX not MDX, and so you need to the Power Query or "Transform Data" window, and use the advanced editor.
Each query to load a table should look like this, eg to load the 'Customer' table:
let
Dax = "evaluate Customer",
Source = AnalysisServices.Database("asazure://southcentralus.asazure.windows.net/myserver", "mydatabase", [Query=Dax])
in
Source
I am evaluating Power BI as a possible tool for publication quality reports that will be distributed to clients. My source databases are in Microsoft SQL and Access.
I am somewhat confused by the Power Query Editor.
As a part of this, we will need to be able to specify the value of a Client Id field and apply a WHERE clause to the SQL and Access data source.
I see that I can filter data on one or more columns. This would be cumbersome if generating reports for a set of individual clients.
I see a Manage Parameters feature on the Home Tab of the Power Query Editor. Can these parameters be compared to values in database tables?
Are there examples of using M or DAX (or anything else) to implement an equivalent WHERE clause?
Do I have to run stored procedures, populate temporary tables and then run Power BI reports?
Here are a few options:
Connect to your database using a Native Database Query. (Related post.)
Connect to a view you create on your database that includes the WHERE clause.
Filter the table in the Query Editor after connecting to it.
Import or DirectQuery the whole table and filter at run time.
In #3, basic filtering usually gets folded into the under-the-hood query that Power BI sends to the database so that this is similar to #1 as far as your database sees.
With #4, it's possible to apply row-level security so that different people have access to different subsets of the data.
I am working on a PowerBi project and I need some advice/questions on the best way to approach this project. I am tasked to create a dashboard for employee metrics pulled from an onsite SQL Server database. The managers here are going to have access to the PowerBi cloud, so I will end up uploading this to the cloud. There are 10 or so metrics that need to be shown on the dashboard. We have 5000+ employees. My first thought was to create a table and dump all the metrics into a table and set the PowerBi report to import the data, but that seems excessive and a waste of space to upload all that data to the CLOUD because all of the managers don't need access to every employee. They may want to see 1 or 2 employees' metrics on the dashboard.
My second thought is to (and if this is possible) create a stored procedure that will take the employee id and output a dataset for PowerBi to create a visual for. On the dashboard, have a list of employees and when a manager selects one, PowerBi will call the stored procedure with the employee id and the dataset will be returned for PowerBi to decipher into a visual based on my measurements. I guess I would set the PowerBi report connection type as DIRECT QUERY?
Here are my questions:
Is this possible? Is it possible to what I am thinking for my second plan? Is this how DIRECT QUERY works?
If so, how does DIRECT QUERY work with the PowerBi cloud?
What is setup like? Do I just install the PowerBi Data Gateway/configure it like IMPORT DATA and PowerBi does the rest?
A couple of queries:
What is the frequency of data update ?
In case if it is a batch job, it is ideally preferable to import that data from source into powerbi model and do reporting on the imported data as
a) The performance would be quicker
b) There would be no to and for of data across on prem database and cloud
c) the source would not be impacted constantly
So is the ask to have RLS wherein the managers should see only the employees under them?
Then it is pretty easy to implement RLS in imported version rather than in case of direct query.
Also you won't be able to pass parameters to stored procedures, and you can't execute them in direct query mode. You can however, create table valued functions which give you the ability to use table variables and perform other functions that are more complex in nature in Direct Query mode
you can refer this for additional details :
https://community.powerbi.com/t5/Desktop/Can-i-call-Stored-Procedure-with-Direct-Query/m-p/267141#:~:text=%40Pallavi%20you%20won't%20be,nature%20in%20Direct%20Query%20mode.
Currently we have a problem with loading data when updating the report data with respect to the DB, since it has too many records and it takes forever to load all the data. The issue is how can I load only the data from the last year to avoid taking so long to load everything. As I see, trying to connect to the COSMO DB in the box allows me to place an SQL query, but I don't know how to do it in this type of non-relational database.
Example
Power BI has an incremental refresh feature. You should be able to refresh the current year only.
If that still doesn’t meet expectations I would look at a preview feature called Azure Synapse Link which automatically pulls all Cosmos DB updates out into analytical storage you can query much faster in Azure Synapse Analytics in order to refresh Power BI faster.
Depending on the volume of the data you will hit a number of issues. First is you may exceed your RU limit, slowing down the extraction of the data from CosmosDB. The second issue will be the transforming of the data from JSON format to a structured format.
I would try to write a query to specify the fields and items that you need. That will reduce the time of processing and getting the data.
For SQL queries it will be some thing like
SELECT * FROM c WHERE c.partitionEntity = 'guid'
For more information on the CosmosDB SQL API syntax please see here to get you started.
You can use the query window in Azure to run the SQL commands, or Azure Storage Explorer to test the query, then move it to Power BI.
What is highly recommended is to extract the data into a place where is can be transformed into a strcutured format like a table or csv file.
For example use Azure Databricks to extract, then turn the JSON format into a table formatted object.
You do have the option of using running Databricks notebook queries in CosmosDB, or Azure DataBricks in its own instance. One other option would to use change feed to send the data and an Azure Function to send and shred the data to Blob Storage and query it from there, using Power BI, DataBricks, Azure SQL Database etc.
In the Source of your Query, you can make a select based on the CosmosDB _ts system property, like:
Query ="SELECT * FROM XYZ AS t WHERE t._ts > 1609455599"
In this case, 1609455599 is the timestamp which corresponds to 31.12.2020, 23:59:59. So, only data from 2021 will be selected.
I'm new to Power BI (Free Version) and I have been asked to develop a report system which generates report from an excel sheet, the reports work good for only the data I have collected.
but my question is how to connect to the data immediately from SQL server without the need to convert it to excel and then import it in power BI, I also want the data to be refreshed dynamically.
One of the solutions I tried is to add new dataset but I get the following message:
Refresh can't be scheduled because the data set doesn't contain any
data model connections, or is a worksheet or linked table. To schedule
refresh, the data must be loaded into the data model.
I have looked for many solutions but none has worked.
am I missing a concept? thank you
If this data is stored in a SQL SERVER table it is a pretty straight forward process.
When you create a new power bi report (.Pbix) you should see a prompt asking you if you want to "Get Data". You would select the 'SQL Server Database' option - See the image below:
Then, you will be asked to enter the Server and Database name, and to specify either 'Import' or 'Direct Query' mode. If you choose 'Import' the data will be refreshed every time you access the report or upon 'Refresh' within a report session. If you choose the latter, the connection will always be live i.e. any changes to the data in your database will be reflected in the report.
Once you get passed this window, you will be asked to either specify credentials or use a windows authentication to access the database and server. After that you can either specify a query to pull in some data or you can select from a list of tables.
I hope this helps!!