What is the lowest delay for alerts that can be achieved?

[tripleacoder]

The context is an SQL server that is reached through a gateway.

I want to send alerts when certain data events happen in the SQL server. I don't want to push data to a realtime dashboard.

What is the lowest upper bound on delays for alerts?

[v-lili6-msft]

hi, @tripleacoder

Note

Alerts only work on data that is refreshed. When data refreshes, Power BI looks to see if an alert is set for that data. If the data has reached an alert threshold, an alert is triggered.

Only when you refresh the dataset, it will get alert,

and it also depends on Maximum notification frequency (At most every 24 hours/ At most once an hour)

 First, Power BI checks to see if it's been more than an hour or more than 24 hours (depending on the option you selected) since the last alert was sent. As long as the data is past the threshold, you'll get an alert.

Of course, it achieves after your dataset had been refreshed, lowest delay is the time it takes to refresh your dataset.

https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/power-bi/service-set-data-alerts

Best Regards,

Lin

[tripleacoder]

How can I get the highest continual refresh rate? The docs mention that scheduled refresh can take 1 hour.

[v-lili6-msft]

hi, @tripleacoder

Maximum notification frequency can be set as At most once an hour / At most every 24 hours for now .

This means the highest continual refresh rate between two alerts is one hours/ 24 hours. 

It has nothing to do with scheduled refresh time.

When the data being tracked reaches one of the thresholds you've set, several things will happen. First, Power BI checks to see if it's been more than an hour or more than 24 hours (depending on the option you selected) since the last alert was sent. As long as the data is past the threshold, you'll get an alert.

Alert will be got after dataset is refreshed completely, and the time difference between two alarms should not be less than one hour.

Best Regards,

Lin

[tripleacoder]

1. "Only when you refresh the dataset, it will get alert"

2. "It [alert] has nothing to do with scheduled refresh time."

These two statements seem contradictory.

2. would mean that alerts are run independently of report/dataset refreshes.

That seems illogical. I would like to have this confirmed by a documentation reference.

If alerts depend on the same data as the reports, then I think refresh frequency matters:

https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/power-bi/desktop-directquery-about

"Models with Imported data can be refreshed at most once per hour. Hence, if the data is continually changing, and it is necessary for reports to show the latest data, then using Import with scheduled refresh might simply not meet those needs. Note also that it is also possible to stream data directly into Power BI, though there are limits on the data volumes supported for this case. 

Using DirectQuery, by contrast, means that opening or refreshing a report or dashboard will always show the latest data in the source. Additionally, the dashboard tiles can be updated more frequently (as often as every 15 mins)."

[v-lili6-msft]

hi, @tripleacoder

Sorry for the poor description.

2. "It [alert] has nothing to do with scheduled refresh time."

This means It [alert] has nothing to do with the frequency scheduled refresh time,

for example:

Assume that you set  scheduled refresh (as often as every 15 mins) but set alert Maximum notification frequency ( At most once an hour)

When the data being tracked reaches one of the thresholds you've set, it will get alert, but within an hour of this time, it won't get alert again even if the data is refreshed.

Best Regards,

Lin