Do I need to schedule refresh on a dataset in Power BI Service if the data source is a dataflow?

[jenniferho]

Hi,

I am new to PowerBI and would be grateful if any experts could shed me some lights below.

My goal: When the business users go to the report in PowerBI services, the report should always show the latest data from the data source.

After going through lots of videos, I am planning to do the following.

I am trying to create a dataflow on PowerBI service to get data from LRS, a learning locker store (data source), via a on-premise data gateway.

Then I schedule a daily refresh on the dataflow.

On PowerBI desktop, I get data from the dataflow, then create visual report.

Then I publish it to the PowerBI service workspace, same as where the dataflow located.

Now, on PowerBI service workspace, I see a dataset and a report created.

Question

May I ask everytime when the dataflow got a daily refreshed, will the dataset and the report also be automatically refreshed since the data source is the dataflow which is already in the cloud?

Or do I still need to set any sheduled job? 

Many thanks.

J

[Greg_Deckler]

@jenniferho 

Once your dataflow has been saved, you'll want to schedule the refresh frequency for each of your connected data sources.

Power BI dataflows use the Power BI data refresh process to keep your data up to date. In the Power BI service, in the workspace section, there's a collection of areas where your information can be listed, including dataflows, as shown in the following image.

The Dynamics dataflow entry in the previous image is the dataflow we created in the previous section. To schedule refresh, select the Schedule refresh icon, under the Actions section, as shown in the following image.

When you select the Schedule refresh icon you're taken to the Schedule refresh pane, which lets you set the dataflow refresh frequency and time.

For more information about scheduling refresh, see the article about configuring scheduled refresh, which describes the refresh behavior of Power BI datasets. Dataflows behave the same behavior as Power BI datasets in terms of refresh settings.

[aj1973 · Accepted solution]

Hi @jenniferho 

The answer to your question is no as dataflow and dataset refreshes are completely separate. Refreshing one does not automatically refresh the other, if you want to trigger one refresh when the other is done you'll have to set that up using APIs.

This could help : https://community.powerbi.com/t5/Service/Dataflow-vs-Dataset-refresh/m-p/699601#M68755

[swise001]

@jenniferho 

If you are using an imported dataset - you would need to specify a refresh in order to bring in the updated data from the dataflow.  The dataflow can be updated independently from the dataset (as you are doing)  - but this doesn't mean that new content is being brought into your Power BI model.  This only happens during a refresh - which needs to be scheduled once the file is published to the service.  

Hope this helps.  

[amitchandak]

@jenniferho ,

are you looking for this

https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/power-bi/transform-model/service-dataflows-create-use

https://radacad.com/how-to-use-dataflow-to-make-the-refresh-of-power-bi-solution-faster

https://endjin.com/blog/2020/04/power-bi-dataflow-refresh-polling