Wait 30 minutes for the update datasources operation to complete before refreshing

[Sergiy]

Hi everyone,

There are Power BI REST APIs for updating Datasources/Parameters:

https://docs.microsoft.com/ru-ru/rest/api/power-bi/datasets/updatedatasources

https://docs.microsoft.com/ru-ru/rest/api/power-bi/datasets/updateparameters

The Docs state:

Important: The dataset must be refreshed for new parameters values to be applied. Wait 30 minutes for the update parameters operation to complete before refreshing.

Regarding this statement I've got two questions:

1.

What do you think is the reason for this limitation? Why do we have to wait for 30 minutes where as if I update datasources/parameters manually then there is no such limitation imposed and I am able to do refresh right after datasources/parameters have been updated?

2.

What will happen if I won't wait for 30 minutes to pass and do a refresh without delay? Will I get an error immediately? What consequences will I suffer in that case?

Any feedback will be greatly appreciated.

[Wormsek]

Hi,

Sorry for digging out this topic, but I have a question regarding this 30 min.

I'm planning to update parameter in Load option for dataset (not Live Query).

Is there any way to check if this param update is completed before 30 min?

[yoavo]

The reason for the limitation is that it takes PowerBi some time to propagate the change into all internal components, so it will be effective (although the new values are set immediately, and your Get operations show them).

This restriction applies also to manual updates via the portal’s UI. It’s just not written in the portal, only in its documentation.

If you refresh without delay, or with smaller delay, nothing ‘bad’ will happen. The refresh will execute, but it may still use the pre-update datasources data, and therefore not reflect what you intended.

The reason I wrote ‘may’, is because the 30 minutes delay is the safe number we give, in which we are sure the new datasources (and/or parameters) values will reach internal components. It may happen (but not guaranteed to) happen faster. So, for example, a refresh after 5 minutes may already take the new values, but a refresh after 30 minutes will for sure take them.

[Sergiy]

The refresh will execute, but it may still use the pre-update datasources data, and therefore not reflect what you intended.

I've never faced the behaviour when an old parameper value was used instead of a newly set one. Never. Have you?

This restriction applies also to manual updates via the portal’s UI.

What makes you think so? The warning we are talking about is given for those who are going to use Power BI REST APIs. For those who are not familiar with Power BI REST APIs Microsoft says nothing of such a restriction, at least I've never met any warnings other than in a Power BI REST APIs section of the Docs. Have you?

30 minutes is more than enough to publish, refresh, delete, again publish and then again refresh a dataset. At the same time you state that 30min delay is needed to propagate the change of a single parameter value "into all internal components". Don't you find it a bit controversial?

I don't know the right answer to my question. But something tells me that it has something to do with the allowed refresh frequency. If we do a dataset refresh manually then dataset refresh frequency is not restricted. If we do a dataset refresh via Power BI REST APIs and haven't paid for capacity then dataset refresh frequency is limited to 8 times per 24 hours. If we've paid for capacity dataset refresh frequency is limited to 48 times per 24 hours. We can't exceed the limits. It's impossible.

But if we rebind a report to a new dataset this will allow us to do a refresh more than 48 times per day. And at this point the restriction I asked about could be handy to prevent this workaround. 0.5h(30mins) x 48 = 24 hours.

I might be wrong but this explanation seems me more likely.

[yoavo]

Relating to a few statements from above:

You wrote: “I've never faced the behaviour when an old parameper value was used instead of a newly set one. Never. Have you?”

Yes. Happened to some customers and we were able to reproduce, quite easily.

You wrote: “What makes you think so? The warning we are talking about is given for those who are going to use Power BI REST APIs.”

I happen to work in PowerBi, on these topics, and it’s my job to know that. There’s no difference between manual and Rest parameters’ update. If there’s indeed no documentation for this limitation in the portal, it should be added.

You wrote: “I don't know the right answer to my question. But something tells me that it has something to do with the allowed refresh frequency. … I might be wrong but this explanation seems me more likely.”

You are wrong. The 30 minutes delay is due to the reason I gave before. I will not get into the details about the internal components, but as I wrote before, the user actions or REST API are registered immediately (you can set parameters, connection data, or credentials and see your changes registered), but Refresh may still miss it.

This has absolutely nothing to do with the 48 times per day limitation. Interesting theory, but wrong.

[Sergiy]

yoavo,

Thank you very much for sharing your experience.