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michaelsh
Kudo Kingpin
Kudo Kingpin

Access to dataflows automatic snapshots

I understand that Dataflows automatically create a snapshot in ADLS Gen2 each time they run.

Do I need a separate Azure license to access these snapshots?
**Edit**

If I do not need Azure license, how do I connect to all the snapshots that are created automatically?

11 REPLIES 11
v-cazheng-msft
Community Support
Community Support

Hi @michaelsh 

You should not need a separate Azure license, but you need your own storage account and read/write permission. For more details, you can refer this blog Using Power Platform Dataflows to extract and process data from Business Central and this official document Configuring dataflow storage to use Azure Data Lake Gen2.

 

Best Regards

Caiyun Zheng

 

Is that the answer you're looking for? If this post helps, then please consider Accept it as the solution to help the other members find it more quickly.

 

 

@v-cazheng-msft 

@v-yiruan-msft 

I am sorry but this is not the solution.

I DO need to have a separate Azure License/Subscription as you can see from these posts.

If I just go to Azure portal without having a separate paid account - I cannot connect to the snapshots.

That was my question

@v-cazheng-msft  Thanks!
I read the links you've send and it says that I NEED Azure Subscription.

So I DO need a license (subscription) to Azure besides Power BI license?

Or do I miss something?
Thanks!

 

michaelsh_0-1618337089583.png

 

Hi @michaelsh 

To get a Azure subscription, you must have an Azure account. An Azure account is simply an identity in Azure AD or in a directory that Azure AD trusts. If you don't belong to such an organization, you can always create a subscription by using your Microsoft Account, which is trusted by Azure AD. Your Power BI account is a organizational trusted account of Azure AD.

You can sign in to the Azure portal with a Power BI account possessing administrator permissions and you can Find your Azure subscription. If you can see the ‘Subscription name’ like the following. Then you can create Storage accounts with this Power BI account. 

If you have any problem, please let us known.

 

Find your subscription with the admin account:

v-cazheng-msft_0-1618381704376.png

 

 

v-cazheng-msft_1-1618381704378.png

 

 

Create Storage account with this account

v-cazheng-msft_2-1618381704382.png

 

 

Best Regards

Caiyun Zheng

 

Is that the answer you're looking for? If this post helps, then please consider Accept it as the solution to help the other members find it more quickly.

 

 

selimovd
Super User
Super User

Hey @michaelsh ,

 

in general your admin can connect your organization’s Azure Data Lake Storage account to your Power BI tenant.

Then you can access the data from the dataflow that is saved in Azure Data Lake directly in the data lake.

See the following article for more details:

Power BI Dataflows and Azure Data Lake Storage Gen2 Integration Preview | Microsoft Power BI Blog | ...

 

If you don't want to do that you can just use the data flow. The data will in the background be saved in data lake, but you don't have to deal with it and you also don't need a data lake license.

If you need any help please let me know.
If I answered your question I would be happy if you could mark my post as a solution ✔️ and give it a thumbs up 👍
 
Best regards
Denis
 

@selimovd 

So if I don't have any special Data Lake and don't have an Azure license, then how can I access the snapshots?

Hey @michaelsh ,

 

you load the data with a dataflow like you would load a regular Query in PowerQuery. The result is a table and physically it's stored in a data lake.

This table you can access in Power BI with data flow as a source. So if you load the data as snapshot with a load date or something similar, then you can query the data flow and select by MAX snapshot date. But that's up to you how you create that.

 

If you need any help please let me know.
If I answered your question I would be happy if you could mark my post as a solution ✔️ and give it a thumbs up 👍
 
Best regards
Denis
 

@selimovd 

I still don't understand.

I work with Dataflows for two years. I also connect to the tables that are created by Dtaflows from within Power BI desktop using Power BI Dataflow as a source.

But where do I see snapshots?

By snaphots I mean copies of tables that were being created from previous runs.

I understand that it is possible to see them when connected to organizational ADLS Gen2, but if I don't have Azure ADLS separate license, is it possible to see the snapshots without it? And how?

Hey @michaelsh ,

 

if you use a dataflow without your own data lake you just have a table at the end. So you have to implement snapshots. For example every load you could add a column "loaddate" that safes the load date. In the table you then would have to only load the snapshot you're interested in.

 

If you use your own data lake, then you can use all the features of Azure Data Lake Gen 2. But you have to use your data lake at the beginning. You cannot switch now afterwards to your own data lake.

 

Does that make sense?

 

If you need any help please let me know.
If I answered your question I would be happy if you could mark my post as a solution ✔️ and give it a thumbs up 👍
 
Best regards
Denis
 

@selimovd  I appreciate you trying to help, Denis.

I think you miss my question.

I do not own a data lake, I do not want to deal with Azure license, just Power BI.

How do I connect to all these "snapshot" tables?

Hey @michaelsh ,

 

by default there are no snapshots in Power BI data flow.

You have to create your data in a corresponding way that you can use that as a snapshot. For example add a column with the load date on a daily basis and then do an incremental refresh in the data flow.

 

Do you know how I mean?

 

If you need any help please let me know.
If I answered your question I would be happy if you could mark my post as a solution ✔️ and give it a thumbs up 👍
 
Best regards
Denis
 

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