PBI Server May 2020 not refreshing saved reports

[Anonymous]

Last week I've updated Report server to version May 2020 (15.0.1103.227). I also updated Power BI Desktop (Optimized for Power BI Report Server - May 2020).

I notices the following issue: When I open the report with Edit in Power Bi Desktop, manually refresh data and change something small in report view, then save on PowerBI Report Server and refresh browser, nothing happens. In column Modified Date I see that the report has been modified, but in the report the data is old, like I never refreshed it.

After I restart the PowerBI Server (Stop then Start) the reports are refreshed.

I looks like there is a problem with the cache or something like that. Is there any new option in Power BI Desktop (Optimized for Power BI Report Server - May 2020) regarding this issue?

[bradsy]

It is being worked on. This is a touchy area of the code and will take time to validate no more regressions. No ETA.

[Anonymous]

Hi @bradsy  any news?

[josef78]

@bradsy same question, any new information or ETA?

[bradsy]

Hi josef78,

We have a fix underway, it is in the testing and validation phase. The current plan is to get it working, tested, then to release an update. It will be done as soon as we can. When I hear more about a date, I will post again.

[mpsrshl]

There is a new version released on 30-06-2020

[josef78]

Great 🙂

• Version: 1.8.7485.35104 (Build 15.0.1103.234), Released: June 30, 2020
  • Bug fixes
    • Fixed an issue in scale-out scenarios where reports weren't reflecting edits immediately in the server after upload

I go to apply update to test farm, I hope that is finally solved

Thanks 

[messerjc]

Do we know if that's the only bug fix? Because that doesn't sound like it addresses the original issue of reports not refreshing...or am I misunderstanding the cause of the original problem? Maybe the issues we're seeing with some scheduled refreshes failing is some other problem...

[MattTurnerN]

@josef78 Ah, thanks Josef. Where did you find that changelog? Could you provide a link?

Thanks

[ChrisBradshawSG]

Here is the link to the change log:

https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/power-bi/report-server/changelog

[bradsy]

Great to see it shipped. Any thumbs up or down for anyone who has tried it?

[TOK]

@bradsy Updated yesterday, Thumbs up from me so far 🙂

[MattTurnerN]

@bradsy Thanks for the update. We're holding off testing/upgrading to the May release because of this bug.

[messerjc]

Thank you for the update either way. 🙂  Our newly integrated team is experiecing minor issues around this on our two prod servers so we'll be keeping an eye out for updates.

[josef78]

@bradsy @d_gosbell  Great thanks, I will wait for any new information about ETA and any solution about this issue.

It's very important for me, because I have this version on production environment in large scaled-out deployment with many thousand users with continuous usage of business critical reports. Go back to Jan20 is very complicated, and workarounds for this issue is very limited (only restart PBIRS service every hour). I work on some additional workaround (checking SaveToCatalog action, connecting to SSAS instances, and deleting related DB from SSAS to force reload it), but it is also complicated and terrible.

[josef78]

@Anonymous repro steps I posted here https://community.powerbi.com/t5/Report-Server/Power-Bi-Reports-Refresh-Problem-with-May-2020-Updated-Version/m-p/1161348

This issue (after update to vertion 15.0.1103.232) is affecting only scale-out deployments with multiple servers, which some servers are dedicated only to web front end, and some servers are dedicated only to background data refreshes ( configured via <IsDataModelRefreshService> settings in rsreportserver.config)

Every PBIRS app istance have own SSAS instance (like cache) data are primary stored in MSSQL DB on another server. When user is accesing to report, server first check if data are in SSAS cache, if not will loaded (log action ASModelStream), and continue with loading schema and queries (ConceptualSchema and QueryData). Data in SSAS cache stay until report is not used for expiration period (by default one hour), or removed soon by memory cleanup process in memory pressure, or forced removed due to data refresch (not working in May 2020 version), and of cource when restart server.

When run scheduled data refresh, server load data from DB (ASModelStream), run refresh (DataRefresh) and store in DB (SaveToCatalog). 

When rerun report after refrech on single instance deployment, the problem is not visble, because front-end and backgroud process are on single server and have shared SSAS cache, reported data are fresch because using same SSAS cache which has refreshed.

But if you rerun report in scale-out deployment, in May 2020 release, there missing step that retrie SSAS cache with old data on all PBIRS servers. When rerun report in scale-out deployment after data refresch, all severs must reload fresh data from DB.

This is big problem in lagre PBIRS deployment for critical business reporting. If you have single server, there is not problem now, because there is only one SSAS cache. If you have scaleout deployment, but you reports are refreshehed or used not often, there also not problem (if you are refreshing daily in night, and users open report morning, cache will be retried after some time). But if you are reports used for critial business process, and this reports are used constantly, SSAS cache never will be expired, and datarefresh NEVER affected (until restart all PBIRS front end servers)

[Anonymous]

Hello,

I have upgraded to the new release of the PowerBI Server and there is update also for PBIDesktopRS_x64:

OLD: Version: 2.81.5831.941 64-bit (май 2020 г.)

NEW: Version: 2.81.5831.1181 64-bit (май 2020 г.)

I am refreshing only manually, because the automatic scheduled refresh is not working (I have another post for this issue). I checked and now everything is ok, thanks!

 @josef78  How did you know for the new release, because it’s just a new build not a version, maybe I could never find it if you haven't posted a link here?

[josef78]

@Anonymous it is totally different issue. In your case is not correctly updated layout definition, only sometimes, also on pre May 2020 version, and exist simple and reliable workaround.

This issue is related only to May 2020 PBIRS, and affecting all reports in all cases when refreshing data on PBIRS. The issue is simple, when model si loaded in to cache (integrated SSAS tabular instance) and data are refreshed (manually from PBID or scheduled on PBIRS), then data in cache are not retried and stay in cache, and PBIRS still use old data in cache. Old data in cache stay until model is removed from SSAS, and it can happen only when PBIRS (including integrated SSAS) is restarted, or model is not used for expiration time (by default more than hour). 

Issues is simple, but full workaround is not possible. To reduce impact of this issue, can help decrease expiration time (in SSMS) and for low usage reports it help, but for business critical reports with heavy usage (is used constantly) this is not helpful, only solution is restart PBIRS to remove SSAS cache (or remove SSAS DB manually directly on SSAS instance). E.G. If you have critical reports which are refreshed every hour and this reports are constantly in use over day, data in reports stays on morning version, and only workaround is restart PBIRS every hour.

[josef78]

additional workaround how reduce impact of this issue is decrease ModelCleanupCycleMinutes and ModelExpirationMinutes parameters in SSMS of RS. Which reduce time to retried model from cache, and load fresh model from DB. But it works only for reports which are not used constantly (expiration time is counting only when reports is not in use)

[josef78]

Additional info: (probably, in my case) if PBIRS is running only on one server, this issue affecting only manual dat refresh from PBID.

If PBIRS is runnning on multiple servers and data refreshes are running on different sever than front end PBIRS (directed by IsDataModelRefreshService settings in rsreportserver.config) this issue affecting both, manual data refresh from PBID and also scheduled data refresh on PBIRS server.

[Les111]

I'm seeing a similar issue, I can make a small change like a background colour, then save to teh server and the background colour is updated but the data is still showing an earlier version. 

I am also getting a sign in dialog almost every time I click on anything in the desktop client. It was never necessary to be signed in to the service in previous versions.

[d_gosbell]

This definitely looks like a bug. There was a similar issue in the Jan 2020 release where schedule refresh would sometimes load an old copy of the model under certain circumstances. I've raised this with some contacts at Microsoft to see if I can find out what's going on.

The issue with multiple signin prompts seems to be triggered by third party visuals. So at the moment the work arounds for that are that you can either roll back to the Jan 2020 desktop version, not use custom visuals, or sign-in.