Consolidating PBI Desktop files, Creating/Sharing more than 1 dashboard

[a-kachua]

Hi,

My colleague and I use the same data source to create different dashboards. Currently, we maintain separate Power BI desktop files and then publish to share with different sets of users. Since we using the same data source, we are trying to find ways to streamline our workstreams.

Question 1:

What is the easiest way to consolidate our different Power BI desktop files? Is there a feature that allows me to copy tabs from other files into one? Our individual files have several tabs/pages so it would be time consuming to replicate.

Alternatively, is there a way to refresh the data source once which will automatically update all our files at the same time? 

Question 2:

Assuming we can consolidate our PBI desktop files, we still want to maintain more than one dashboard given the varying info requirements of our different users. But once a user clicks on a tile, that would bring them to the consolidated report which would have a lot of tabs. Is there a way for us to select the tabs that can we viewed by a particular user? For example, the consolidated PBI desktop file has 20 tabs and we used the file to create two separate dashboards. Then we gave a user access to only 1 dashboard. If they click on a tile, that will bring them to the consolidated report. But we don't want him to see all the tabs. How can we set it up so that he sees only a subset of the consolidated file?

Thanks and let me know if my questions are unclear.

[prateekraina]

HI @a-kachua,

Answer 1:
As of now, there is no way to consolidate Power BI Desktop files (.pbix) i.e. you cannot copy/paste tabs from one report to other.
Regarding data refresh of the files, you need to manually refresh your on premise .pbix files. However, once you have published the report/dataset on Power Bi Online then there is option of refreshing it automatically on regular intervals.

Answer 2:
You cannot have tab level access for users. In order to achieve solution to this problem, you should create a single consolidated report for all the users (if the data to be shown is similar to all) and then take use of RLS (Row Level Security) which will help you in showcasing data at a single place and users can see data based on the access you provide. Read this for more details.

Hope it helps.

[a-kachua]

Thanks for the quick response to my questions, Prateekraina!

I have used RLS feature before, but as I understand it can be applied by selecting a field from my data tables and applying roles. But how do I apply RLS by page? Let's say I want a particular user to access only certain pages in my Power BI report.

Thanks! 

[prateekraina]

Hi @a-kachua,

I am afraid you cannot have page level access in Power BI. There is no straight forward mechnaism other than RLS.

Although i have a bizzare suggestion for you 🙂

If you are so stressing to have a single report with say 20 tabs and then say User1 should have access to 10 tabs and User 2 to other 10 tabs.
> In that case have two separate workspaces, publish your pbix to both of them. 

> After that remove/delete the 10 tabs from each report by using Edit Report option in Power BI online and then pin the report on dashboard which can be shared with user.

I know this doesn't seem a legit approach but worth a try.

[a-kachua]

Hi Prateekraina,

Worth trying. Thanks for the suggestion.

Question though, if next month I refresh and publish my consolidated file again, do I need to go back to each workspace and repeat the removal of tabs from each report? Basically I'm wondering if the 10 tabs that I had deleted in the first workspace will re-appear after I publish my Desktop file.

[prateekraina · Accepted solution]

Exactly !!

You will have to repeat the process of deletion every time you publish. 
Also, it is risky if you look at data security point of view.

Suppose User 1 is currently viewing his report and you publish the report at that time, if he refreshes, he will be able to see the other 10 tabs and wonder 😄 Meanwhile,  you will hurry to open the report in Power BI online and delete pages one by one.
So practically not good idea.

If you still want to try this then make sure you un-pin your report from the user dashboards > Publish your file > Delete the tabs and then pin again so that atleast User data is not compromised.

Thanks!

[a-kachua]

Yeah, that's what I thought so too. Thanks for looking into my queries, Prateekraina!