Import multiple CSV files, allowing relationships, refresh via Power BI Service, using FREE edition

[glauberferreira]

Hi all.

I am testing/evaluating Power BI ecosystem for deploying dashboards for a Retail Company. I have some business processes that provide daily CSV files (each of them with data from previous day) which are manually download by a member staff at a local folder.

How can I import these .CSV files in Power BI in to order to satisfy all these three requirements:

1. use Power BI FREE (in this prototype phase, only Power BI FREE is being considered)
2. Refresh data via Power BI Service
3. definition of Relationships using Power BI Desktop

I have tried two paths...

A - I have already imported .CSV files in Power BI Desktop using Get Data -> Folders, but I didn't satisfy either item 1 or 2, since I need to use a Gateway available only in Power BI Pro in order to refresh files via Power BI Service.

B - I have also combined .CSV files via script and saved the combined file to OneDrive. Using Power BI directly (not Desktop), I connected to this combined .CVS file pointing to OneDrive. However, item 3 is not satisfied.

Am I doing something wrong in any of the above paths?

Storing .CSV content on Azure Table Storage is an alternative to satisfy the above three requirements, despite of the cost of storage? Or should I evaluate Power BI REST API in order upload .CSV content to Power BI Service? Another solution?

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Thanks in advance.

[ankitpatira]

@glauberferreira You're probably stuck in the middle there. I know there are several ideas posted for this and you can vote for them and wait to be implement. Considering Azure is also great alternative as it will give you live connection without needing to worry about schedule refresh.

One possible solution I can suggest to you since you mentioned it is in prototype phase is to get upgraded to free trial of Pro version. They don't need any of your credit card details or stuff like that. Simply download and install gateway and start using it and next time you login to powerbi.com it will say you're using Pro features and so upgrade for free trial. At the end of first month you can also extend trial and I have been using Pro free trial for few months now.

This way you get couple of months to evaluate your design and maybe by that time refresh for csv is supported.