Looking for Advice - Connecting to Central Repository

[Anonymous]

I am using an Excel file that is generated from Cognos BI to generate several PowerBI Dashboards.    What is the recommended best practice for this export to be available 24x7 in a location that has no dependencies for an Account to be logged in nor a PC to be left on?   My first challenge is for Cognos to delivery the Excel to a central repository.   Second challenge is determining the best method to keep the Power BI chart refreshed daily with the export.   Does this call for setting up a Report Server, a Gateway, or some other method.    Looking for advice on the best option.

Thanks.

[v-juanli-msft · Accepted solution]

Hi @Anonymous 

What is the recommended best practice for this export to be available 24x7 in a location that has no dependencies for an Account to be logged in nor a PC to be left on?  

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With schedule refresh, the data could refresh automatically on schedule.

you don't need to log in Power BI Service everytime to perform.

For on-premise data source, schedule refresh will need a on-premise gateway.

If you install the gateway in the same server as the database which stores the data source,

there is no dependence to use the same PC for different report users.

When you use another PC to open the Power BI Service(web part) with your power bi account or open the power bi report on web, you could see the lastest data.

To keep data refresh daily in power bi service, you need to install an on-premise gateway,   connect data source to this gateway and configure schedule refresh settings correctly.

To use on premise gateway for schedule refresh, it needs a Power BI Pro account.

"Refresh now" (manual refresh) doesn't need a pro account.

Best Regards

Maggie

Community Support Team _ Maggie Li
If this post helps, then please consider Accept it as the solution to help the other members find it more quickly.

[Anonymous]

Thanks for the information.    Everything is set up and working!