Excel workbook data model Azure SQL source schedule refresh not supported?

[Anonymous]

Hi all,

I read in the PowerBI support site that the mentioned above is possible and have no need for PowerBI Gateway as its a cloud to cloud setup.

My current setup is like this:

1) Create a PowerPivot model in Excel 2013

2) Use From Other Sources and select MS SQL Azure (Online source)

3) Extract some tables

4) Save the workbook

5) Upload the workbook to OneDrive - Business

6) Login to PowerBI

7) Get Data from Files and choose OneDrive - Business

😎 Choose the workbook i uploaded

9) Use the option Connect, Manage, and View Excel in PowerBI

10) The workbook now appear under Report section

I tested that if i click on Refresh Now, it will not refresh the dataset model of PowerPivot. All it does is, it will refresh and check if the Excel workbook file has been uploaded with a newer version in OneDrive and reflect accordingly in the linked file in PowerBI.

But i need to schedule refresh to refresh the dataset PowerPivot model so that my Excel Pivot table reflect the updated data accordingly every day. When i click on the Schedule Refresh, it shows me this error:

"You can't schedule refresh for this dataset because one or more sources currently don't support refresh."

However the official PowerBI support site shows that this is possible: https://powerbi.microsoft.com/en-us/documentation/powerbi-refresh-excel-file-onedrive/

Current workaround is to click the Edit the workbook from PowerBI which will open up the file in Excel Online and i manually click on the Refresh All Connection in the workbook.

All PowerBI guru and expert, kindly advise on how to get this to work. As my client reports are mostly in table pivot form, it is better to view them in Excel instead of PowerBI table and matrix visualization.

Thanks all...

[PowerBIGuy · Accepted solution]

@Anonymous Please see the following link. You have to use Power Query to load the data into your Power Pivot Model. 

[Anonymous]

Thanks @PowerBIGuy. I'd found out the PowerQuery way yesterday.

Its abit inconvenient to use PowerQuery as i prefer to develop everything in PowerPivot model. I need to write some complex SELECT statement and since data loaded from PowerQuery cannot be edited within PowerPivot, i have to embed the SELECT statement in the PowerQuery source statement instead.

Anyway, at least it solve my issue of schedule refresh from PowerBI. Now all my Excel pivot table refresh accordingly which is really great.