REST API pulls incorrect data in PBI Service (Timebutler)

[tbecht]

Hello All, in my model I am pulling worktime data from the REST API of Timebutler. Everything works perfectly fine in PBI Desktop. When I publish the report it shows the right data in PBI Service and start refreshing immediately. Once the refresh is finished (2 min) the data changes and is incorrect (with my sample user and date range: one entry where none should appear, two weeks missing the complete data, next two weeks completely correct, next week missing one entry, then no data for the recent two weeks).

Any ideas why this occurs and how I can solve the issue?

[v-yaningy-msft]

Hi, @tbecht 

According to your description, you are pulling working time data from Timebutler's REST API and the Power BI report is showing inaccurate data, you can try the following to resolve the problem:

1. Limits and Rate Limits, the Power BI REST API has rate limits that prevent too many requests. If an application exceeds these limits, it may result in incorrect data.
Check if the REST API calls are reaching any limits. You can monitor this by examining the HTTP status code returned by the API. If you encounter a 429 status code (too many requests), consider implementing a retry using a fallback strategy.
2. dataset parameters and filters to verify that any parameters or filters set in the dataset were correctly applied during the refresh. Incorrect parameter values can lead to unexpected data results. Double-check your filter expressions and make sure they match your intended conditions.
3. Enhanced dataset metadata. If you are using enhanced dataset metadata, make sure you refresh the dataset after updating the parameter values. If you are not using enhanced metadata, wait approximately 30 minutes after updating the data source before refreshing the data set.
4. cluster routing and timeouts, in some cases API requests may reach clusters that do not contain tenant data. In this case, the redirection may fail due to a timeout. To resolve this issue, resend the request with the URL query parameter set to true.(preferClientRouting)
5. In the Power BI service, go to Dataset Settings and check the refresh history for any errors or warnings that may indicate what went wrong. Or look at the log or diagnostic information associated with the REST API call for any error messages or unexpected behavior.
6. Check the processing of time zones and date ranges. Power BI's data model does not include time zone information. If the REST API returns data for different time zones, this may result in discrepancies. Consider adjusting the query to account for time zone differences. Ensure that the data type of the date field is set to "Date" and not "Text" as this may affect relative date filtering.

Best Regards,
Yang
Community Support Team

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