Insert rows question

[jaalders]

Hi,

I am calling an API and retrieving 1 value, however I want to keep this value in a longer list.

So not actually 1 insertrow, but every e.g. 5 minutes, getting the latest value and add this to the list of old values.

I have 2 challenges:
1. how can I insert a new record every time?

2. eventually I can schedule this, or in Power Query schedule as well, but first point 1! 🙂 

e.g.:

Current list/table:

123

456

789

New value: 521

New list:

123

456

789

521

5 mins later, new value: 172

New list:

123

456

789

521

172

etc.

So I need to store the old value and 5 minutes later (or with refresh) store the new value.

I was trying this in Excel with PowerQuery, but maybe PowerBi is better doing this?

[BA_Pete]

Hi @jaalders ,

The only way I think you can do this with Power BI is by using incremental refresh in the Power BI Service.

You need a Premium Capacity or Premium-per-User licence.

More info:

https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/power-bi/connect-data/incremental-refresh-overview 

Pete

[jaalders]

In PowerQuery you can schedule the query every x mins, so you would suggest using that?
Any idea how? 

[BA_Pete]

Hi @jaalders ,

Try having a look through the link I provided to see if it is right for your scenario. It also expains how to do it.

It's the only way I know of to get Power BI to add new snapshot data onto an existing historical dataset.

Pete

[jaalders]

I did. but it was not clear to me.
First want to focus how to insert a new row with new data each time....

That should be easy, but I cannot find it hahah!
With RPA it is just an insert when the variable is changing...

Also, it is not really incremental.
I just need to ADD new data (1 record) every time... 🙂

Old data just remains.

[edhans]

@jaalders you can take a look at this article on how to use Incremental Refresh to keep existing data in the model while adding new data. However, just as the article itself suggests, it is not recommended for production, just an interesting exercise. Use at your own risk.

The right way to do this is to store your data in another location and incrementally add data to that. Power BI is meant to do a refresh, wipe, refresh, not keep anything. The Incremental Refresh feature is to simply store older unchanged partitions without wiping them out. If you did, a full refresh would restore the same results, just take a long time. It is not meant to keep data in Power BI that doesn't still exist in the source database. Chris Webb's BI Blog: Keep The Existing Data In Your Power BI Dataset And Add New Data To It Using I...

[jaalders]

Thanks!
I just don't understand that MS doesn't allow me to keep static data and add rows from other sources 1 by 1... 

Excel with Power Query or PowerBI, doesn't matter...

Will read your article 🙂

[edhans]

Because Power BI isn't a data warehouse. It wasn't designed to be. It is not meant to be the only source of truth, and that is what you are asking it to do. You need to build your data warehouse a different way, then connect Power BI to it. It is a read only reporting tool, not a data repository.

[jaalders]

I think I found a way, look:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xDVUUcbX13g 

[edhans]

Yes, and if you republish your report and lose history, you will lose the data. Again, if circumstances are perfect, you can do this. If not, you will lose your historical data. Proceed with caution. You are using the tool in a way not intended. I hope it works for you.

[jaalders]

I understand, thanks!
Will give it a try and see what happens...