One Dataset Many Reports (Powerbi Desktop Can't Be Used?)

[lprbi]

Hi,

I have a request to separate a few pages that I have on a Report/Dataset, to be viewed by a distinct group of users.

I see that have no way to share pages, but only reports thru dashboards. This way I have to separate this pages, in distinct reports ok. 

I see that the only way to share Datasets between Reports its use PowerBi Desktop only to manage the data, and need use powerbi.com to create reports, sharing the same dataset.

This is really the only way?

Powerbi Desktop it's useless in this case? I really apreciate develop my reports on Desktop...

Thank you

[karo]

Hi,

Any news in this case? I have similar problem currently (the same data set, but two reports due to no possibility to share report pages with the particular group of users). I am wonder if now it is some way to use the same data set for 2 reprots without rebuilding the second report in Power BI Service?

Regards,

Karo

[wvanpeel]

I have exactly same issue.

We as an IT organization and want to keep control over the development of Enterprise wide used reports datasets and reports, we  want to keep the development/maintenance via the Desktop version, storing PBIX files in an on-premises repository, and Publish finished reports to the Service for our endusers. Not being able to create multiple reports from the same dataset, via the Desktop version, is a big functional gap. 

I know, we could do this in the PBI service, but then we lose every version control we want to have in place.

The way it works now is great for individuals and small groups of departmental reporting, but not when you want to rollout PBI as an Enterprise wide tool.

I hope they can fix this to have this functionality also via the Desktop version.

[Seth_C_Bauer]

@lprbi I don't know if I completely understand the question, but I'll give it a shot by describing how things work.

The desktop allows you to Model and Build Report Pages. Regard each individual Desktop file as it's own report. The Service allows you to connect to a dataset, build reports and share.

If you need multiple versions of a report you could,

Start by using the Desktop, create the report pages, and publish/load the PBIX file to the Service. This will push up the PBIX file as the dataset, and create a report from what you've built in the Desktop. You can then build a dashboard and share the dashboard to end users. You could also create an Organizational Content Pack to Share.

Then if you need additional reports off that same data set you could create a new report off the PBIX dataset in the Service (Click the elipses by the DataSet name and "Explore"). This option would only create the report in the Service though.

Another Option is:

If you've built a model in a PBIX file and you want to re-use the datamodel you've built, just open the file and "Save As" a different file name. Then create your limited reports, deploy that, and create a dashboard to share.

Challenges: You can't copy a page from one PBIX file to another, so you'll need to build the report visuals again.

[lprbi]

"Then if you need additional reports off that same data set you could create a new report off the PBIX dataset in the Service "

That's the problem, PowerBI Desktop should be able to create another reports with the same dataset without rely on the Service.. 

[greggyb]

I'm pretty sure I understand the problem, as it's something I've had issues with recently.

My specific scenario AS connector to an on-prem SSAS 2012 Tabular model. Create new report in PBI desktop. Publish that report to PBI service.

In service we now see a dataset with the name of the .pbix, and a report with the same name.

In desktop, create a new report in a new .pbix with a different name. Publish that report to PBI service.

In service, we now have two datasets and two reports. The dataset is exactly the same between the two and never could be different, since it's a connection to a single on prem data source. There's no way to share that dataset between reports published from PBI desktop.

Personally, I find the Desktop authoring experience to be much smoother. Additionally, there are some features (one that was an issue when I was doing this work was defining arbitrary hierarchies on axis labels for charts, which could only be authored in PBI desktop) which are only present in Desktop, despite being consumable in the Service.

It's useless, at best, to publish multiple identical datasets. It's confusing for end users and is visual clutter in a content pack or in someone's workspace view.

[lprbi]

yes Greg,

Seems to me that PowerBI Desktop it's incomplete, did not follow the Service, and the service does not follow the Desktop, I hope they solve this...

This is basic.