Can free users use "Analyze in Excel" functionality if ODC is shared from a Pro user?

[JacobIsbell]

I'd like to be able to share the models I build and publish to the PowerBI.com service with free license-level users in our organization by sending them the ODC file.

Is this possible or will this require them to also have a Power BI Pro license?

[Seth_C_Bauer]

@JacobIsbell I'll take a stab here... The Analyze in Excel feature shouldn't be limited to just "Pro", but what you are describing isn't completely making sense to me. If you build a model, either you are doing that in the PBIX (Power BI Desktop file) or from SSAS. If you want to share the actual dataset (model) so that others can build reports, the only way to do that is via an Organizational Content Pack -> Pro feature.

Can you clarify what the end user capabilities need to be, and where you are building your model?

[JacobIsbell]

@Seth_C_Bauer Thanks for the reply. So your first suggestion of building a model in PBI Desktop is the approach I was referring to. So if, a Pro user develops a model in PBI desktop, publishes it to powerbi.com, downloads the ODC connection file to analyze in Excel and then share that ODC with my co-workers in the same org, will they also be able to connect to the virtual SSAS cube that was created even if they only have the free-level license?

Hopefully that makes a little more sense.

Thanks!

[Seth_C_Bauer]

@JacobIsbell Whew... I've never walked through this scenerio... If I read things correctly the end user would need to have access to the dataset in Power BI... Whether that means it is shared with them via a dashboard, or if they actually need access to the dataset I don't know. If they need access to the dataset it would need to be in a Group Workspace or Org Content Pack both of which would require a Pro license... I would test this out, but my initial assumption is that it won't work.

[JacobIsbell]

@Seth_C_Bauer That's what I was thinking too. I doubt MS wants 10 thousand free licensed people to be able to access a model through an ODC Excel connection without capitalizing on that. I guess I'll keep pursuing a full test just to be sure.

[v-yuezhe-msft]

Hi @JacobIsbell,

Based on IlanH’s comment in this thread, “Analyze in Excel” feature is available and working for Power BI free users. However, "Analyze in Excel" has limitation that it doesn't work for "on premise analysis services" dataset at that time. 

I just test the scenario that firstly connecting to SSAS cube using import mode in Power BI Deskstop, publishing report to Service and sharing a dashboard to a free user, everything works well, you can also test it in your environment.  But when you connect to SSAS cube using Live connection(Gateway is required) mode, your shared users should have pro licenses as you contain pro content in the dashboard.

Thanks,
Lydia Zhang

[JacobIsbell]

Thanks for the reply, @v-yuezhe-msft. In this particular use case, the source data will be flat structures that I'm importing into Power BI (no connection live or otherwise to a cube or other data source) so I'm assuming this will still work since there will be no live connections. Is my logic sound?

Thanks!

[v-yuezhe-msft · Accepted solution]

Hi @JacobIsbell,

Yes, as long as you don't contain Power BI pro content in dashboard, your shared users don't require pro license and they are able  to use "Analyze in Excel" feature.

Thanks,
Lydia Zhang