Category Archives: Power BI
Publishing Power BI Reports to Web
Prerequisite: Power BI Online report and a sample HTML webpage Purpose of the Setup: Purpose of this setup is to embed interactive Power BI visualizations in your blog or website and share the stunning visuals through your emails or social media communications and reach millions of users on any device, any place, for an engaging experience. Find the steps given below for publishing Power BI reports into your webpage or blog. Step 1: Create a dummy webpage with some content, as shown below so that we can go to iframe page. Step 2: Now, let’s move on to the Power BI Online Service account part. Firstly, open your Power BI Online Account and select the report to be published. Once you select the report, you click on File menu there you will find a new option as Publish to Web. Select the option to proceed further. Step 3: Now, it will show option to Create embed code, click on that and then it will display a warning with Publish option. Click on Publish. Step 4: Then you will get a Success message! The message window will show 2 options i.e. Link you can send in email and Html you can paste into your blog or website. Thus, Power BI has automatically created the link and embed code which can be used to get the dashboard in our webpage. We get different pixel size option also. You can use the link to share with others or you can paste the html code generated here into your blog or website. Step 5: Now, we can paste the embed code into the webpage html code. We have given sample code below: <! DOCTYPE html> <html> <head> </head> <body> <iframe width=”800″ height=”600″ src=”https://app.powerbi.com/view?r=eyJrIjoiZjAzYTNjYzQtNjI1ZC00NTA2LWEyYjQtZjM3YWQ2OGNlYzBiIiwidCI6IjI2YzRiMmU0LWVjMDctNGM3Yi05MmU1LTk3ZjUyODY1ZTk4YiIsImMiOjEwfQ%3D%3D” frameborder=”0″></iframe> </body> </html> Step 6: Now, with this code, when we click on the Power BI Demo button “Demo Registration” on the webpage created initially we will get the report directly on the our webpage. This is the final output that we get. Thus, we have published Power BI report to our webpage. Now, we can view the code and link again through setting icon and clicking on Manage embed codes. We can also delete the report published. To view the code: Setting -> Manage embed codes -> Right click on ellipses against the report -> Get Code </>Get Code will again display the link and embed code. And Delete option will confirm the deleting action and the delete the embed code for the particular report.
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Pin Excel Data to Power BI Online Dashboard
Prerequisite: Microsoft Excel, Power BI Online Service, Power BI Publisher for Excel Power BI Publisher for Excel: With the help of introduction to Power BI publisher for Excel, we can now easily share key Excel insights directly to Power BI online. Using this feature PivotTables, charts, cell range from Excel sheet can be easily shared across different location to a single location in Power BI Dashboard. Note: Power BI publisher for Excel is still in preview mode. To download the Power BI publisher for Excel, click here. Once downloaded and installed, following screen will be shown when you open Excel: You can then click on Sign up and start using the publisher as shown in screenshot below: Login to Power BI using your account You can find the publisher installed on top ribbon under Power BI tab as shown below: Steps for sharing Excel data to Power BI online dashboards: Step 1: Select desired data from the Excel spreadsheet and click the Pin button on the Power BI ribbon above. Step 2: When you clicked on Pin, you will be prompted whether to pin to an existing dashboard or create a new dashboard and then pin. You can also view the preview at the right side to see how this will look. Step 3: Once you log in to your Power BI Online account, you will be able to see the pinned Excel data in Power BI Dashboard. Step 4: You can also manage tiles that have been already pinned using Pin Manager on top of the ribbon as shown below. Using Pin Manager, you can update tile data for which you have already pinned to dashboard or also you can remove the tile pinned on Power BI dashboard.
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Complex Power BI Reports using DAX Functions
Prerequisite: Power BI Desktop Tool and knowledge on DAX functions Purpose of the Setup: To learn how we can leverage DAX functions to create complex Power BI reports. Here we will be looking at different DAX functions for the below mentioned reports in Power BI; Calculate and compare Sales Figure by Day Calculate and compare Sales Figure by Date Calculate and compare Sales Running Total Source File Details: To demonstrate this concept, we have created an excel file with dummy data and connected it to Power BI Desktop Tool. In the Excel source file, we have created few sheets along with sample data as shown below: Fig: Modified Sales
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Power BI Connectivity to PostgreSQL
Prerequisite: Power BI Desktop Tool, PostgreSQL Database, pgAdmin III, Visual Studio 2008 or higher Introduction Power BI supports connectivity to different databases such as SQL Server, MySQL, Oracle and many more (list of all supported databases given here ). By providing necessary details such as server name, database name, username & password, you can easily connect to database and start exploring data using different visualizations in the form of reports/dashboards. This article will walk you through the necessary steps required to configure in your system before establishing connection of Power BI Desktop Tool to PostgreSQL Database. After installation of PostgreSQL database in your machine, if you try connecting Power BI Desktop Tool to PostgreSQL Database, you will get following error as shown in the screenshot below: Following are the steps required to connect Power BI Desktop Tool to PostgreSQL Database: Setup PostgreSQL Client Connect Power BI Desktop Tool to PostgreSQL Steps to set up PostgreSQL Client: Step 1: Download and unzip the Npgsql package from the link mentioned here You will find two DLL files named as Npgsql.dll and Mono.Security.dll as shown in screen capture below: Step 2: You need to have Visual Studio 2008 or later. Open visual studio command prompt using administrative rights as shown in the screen capture below: Step 3: Locate and Open machine.config from the location given below: C:\Windows\Microsoft.NET\Framework64\v4.0.30319\Config \machine.config .Net framework and Npgsql version might vary depending on the version of installation. Add the following below <DbProviderFactories> tag: <add name=”Npgsql Data Provider” invariant=”Npgsql” description=”.Net Framework Data Provider for PostgreSQL Server” type=”Npgsql.NpgsqlFactory, Npgsql, Version=2.0.1.0, Culture=neutral, PublicKeyToken=5d8b90d52f46fda7″/> Find the screenshot given below for this step: Step 4: Now in your visual studio command prompt, use the following command to successfully move DLL files to C:\windows\assembly gacutil -I “C:\Users\ajagd_000\Downloads\Npgsql2.0.1-bin-ms.net3.5sp1\Npgsql2.0.1-bin-ms.net3.5sp1\bin\Npgsql.dll” Where C:\Users\ajagd_000\Downloads is the file location for the Npgsql package downloaded. Similar command you can run for Mono.Security.dll file gacutil -I “C:\Users\ajagd_000\Downloads\Npgsql2.0.1-bin-ms.net3.5sp1\Npgsql2.0.1-bin-ms.net3.5sp1\bin\Mono.Security.dll” Step 5: Once this is done, you can now try connecting Power BI to PostgreSQL. However you will notice below error Once you restart your machine, you can now connect to PostgreSQL and start playing with your data. Steps for connecting Power BI Desktop Tool to PostgreSQL: Step 1: Open pgAdmin III interface to create database, table and few records to display in your report as shown in screen capture below Step 2: Open Power BI Desktop Tool and click ‘Get Data’ and select PostgreSQL Database as shown below Step 3: Enter server name (in our case it is localhost), database name, username and password as shown in below screen capture Step 4: Select required table from database and click load as shown in screen capture below Step 5: Once data is loaded in model, you can start playing around with the data and create beautiful visualizations/reports as shown in image below and later publish it to Power BI Online Service.
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Power BI updates
Purpose of this blog is to showcase latest Power BI updates. Prerequisite: Power BI Desktop Tool, Power BI Personal Gateway and Power BI online service account. Purpose of the setup: To learn about latest Power BI updates from October month. Here we will be looking the below mentioned Power BI updates; Read-only Members in Power BI Groups Semi-select support for DAX formulas in Data view Read-only Members in Power BI Groups: Power BI have introduced a very good feature in Power BI online Service using which the user can create group in Power BI Online account with multiple users and these users can be assigned role as ‘Admin’ or ‘Member’.Let’s have a look. With such Power BI groups the user and his colleagues can come together to collaborate, communicate and connect with their data. The user can create a group either in Power BI or Office 365. Then, the user can invite co-workers into this group workspace where he can collaborate on his organization’s shared dashboards, reports and datasets. Up until now, all members had all the rights. Many of us required read-only membership to the groups so that the users you want to keep up to date but not have edit permissions on our dashboards and reports. So, this update exactly helps us to do the same; let’s have a look on how to do this. Now to begin with, first we’ll create our group by clicking the “+” icon near Group Workspaces. Now let’s add a few users to our group. FYI, Power BI Groups have two roles: Admins and Members. Now here, we will set one user to Admin and the remaining users to Members. We will click on Save to create the group. Now, let’s take a look what difference take place when an Admin and a member login to Power BI Online account and use the created group. As you can see, when person with Admin rights, login, than that user has right to ‘Explore’, ‘Schedule Refresh’, ‘Rename’, ’Delete’ etc. options available. Whereas, when a person with member rights login can only view the reports and Dashboard. Member of the group do not have the Dataset access and thus, cannot perform any edit operation. Thus, now we have option introduced for us to quickly switch a user from Member to Admin and vice-versa which will be very helpful. Semiselect support for DAX formula in Dataview : Power BI have introduced another very good feature in Power BI Desktop Tool using which the user can create new column using DAX function by directly clicking on the column. Let’s have a look First we have to open the Dataview Screen. Now, before this update user had to manually type the table and the column name to write the DAX function. With this update the user can directly click on the column name and create the DAX function as per the requirement.
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Power BI with Azure SQL Data Warehouse
Prerequisite: Power BI Desktop Tool, Power BI Online Service, SSMS and SSDT Connecting Power BI Desktop Tool with Azure SQL Data Warehouse: With the new Azure SQL Data Warehouse Preview released in June 2015, we can connect to Power BI Online or Desktop tool and create stunning reports/dashboards to visualize and analyze your data. Before connecting with Power BI, we will first move few records in Azure SQL Data Warehouse from SQL Server in Azure VM using SSIS as shown below: Now we can connect to Azure SQL Data Warehouse from SQL Server and query table to view records inserted as shown below: Once data is loaded in Azure SQL Data Warehouse, we can now start creating reports and later publish it to Power BI Online. Find the steps given below to connect to Power BI Desktop tool: Step 1: Open Desktop tool and click ‘Get Data’ from ribbon. Select ‘Microsoft Azure SQL Data Warehouse’ and click ‘Connect’ Step 2: Enter Server Name, Database and later credentials to connect to your Azure SQL Data Warehouse Step 3: Once connected, you can select required tables. In our case it is ‘Projects’ and click load Step 4: Design report and later save & publish it to Power BI Online Step 5: You can pin visualizations to dashboard and also schedule refresh without the need for Power BI Personal Gateway Direct Connectivity to Power BI Online from Azure SQL Data Warehouse: We can also directly load tables in Power BI Dataset using option ‘Open in Power BI’ available in Microsoft Azure as shown below: Once you hit ‘Open in Power BI’, you will be taken to Power BI Online and details like server name and database name will be already provided by default. Later you need to just enter password for database and then you are good to go. You can create reports from the imported dataset and pin visuals to dashboard similarly as in case of reports published from Power BI Desktop tool. Find the screen capture as shown below: Since dataset is directly imported in Power BI connecting to Azure SQL Data Warehouse, the dataset is automatically refreshed at regular interval without the need to schedule refresh. Find image shown below:
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MySQL Connectivity to Power BI and Schedule Refresh
Prerequisite: MySQL, Power BI Desktop Tool, Power BI Personal Gateway Purpose of the setup: MySQL is one of the popular open source database used right after Microsoft SQL and Oracle. Power BI being one of the most powerful tool used for reporting and data visualization with different data sources supported. Here we will be looking on how to connect and refresh on-premise MySQL database to Power BI. Steps for establishing connectivity between MySQL and Power BI: Here we have one database created in MySQL named ‘emp_details’ which has table-‘emp_salary’ with 4 records. Now, we will pull this MySQL data to Power BI and create a .pbix file For that first we will open Power BI Desktop tool and click on Get Data Here we will select ‘Database’ option on the right hand side and then select the ‘MySQL Database’ and click on ‘Connect’ Then it will ask for server name and database. Enter the appropriate server name and database (which you want). And then click OK. Now, it will ask for the username and Password. Then click on Connect Now the list of all database and its related table will appear. You select your required table and click on Load. Now, create a report in Power BI Desktop tool and save it with some appropriate name. Then, login to Power BI online and using GetData option pull the .pbix file you have created. You will find the .pbix file under Dataset on left hand side of the screen. Now, create a simple report and pin it to dashboard. Then schedule Refresh and click to Apply. Now when we select the Dataset and click on Refresh Now , will get Now, to check the Refreshing of data add a new data or update the Existing one in your MySQL table. Now, again go to Power BI Online and click on the Dataset and select Refresh Now . You will find the changes reflected on your dashboard. You can read more about scheduling on-premise data sources in our previous blog given below: https://www.cloudfronts.in/on-premise-data-refresh-in-power-bi/
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Migrate Scribe integration setup from one AOS to another in AX 2012
To migrate Scribe integration setup from one AOS to another in AX 2012, below mentioned steps has to be performed, On the AOS server, in IIS go to the Default Web Site node. Under the node check if there is MicrosoftDynamicsAXAif60 web site. If not, go to the below link to install Microsoft Dynamics AX web services on IIS. [https://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/gg731848.aspx] In AX, System Administration module→Setup→Services and Application Integration Framework open the Web sites form. Create a new record for the above web site. Enter appropriate name, description and correct virtual directory path. Next go to System Administration module→Setup→Services and Application Integration Framework→Inbound ports. Follow the below steps to modify the inbound port, Select the inbound port for scribe integration. Deactivate the port. Note : Before you do this, make sure no user is online(System Administration module→Common→Users→Online users) and no messages are being processed(No xml in ScribeIn queue). On right side under the ‘Address’ group, click the drop down next to URI textbox. Select the new web site from ‘Select Web site’ form and click OK. Check if the port has all its service operations. If not, you can add them. Activate the port. This will generate new wsdl url. Copy-paste this wsdl url in a text document, we will use it later. Now, login to the Scribe server. In the Collaborations folder open any dts file in scribe workbench. In the dts file, open the Connection Manager and click ‘Edit’. Click Change Connection. Select ‘Web Services’ under Adapters. Click OK. In the Web Service Connection Manager form, select the AX web service and click ‘Edit’. Change the WSDL url. Put the url from step-3. Validate the url and Save. Perform steps-4 to step-8 for all other dts files. By doing the above steps, Inbound port url, in AX, will be changed and AX web service connections in Scribe will point to the changed url.
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Creating Content Packs in Power BI
What are content packs? Content packs let users package up and share your own dashboard, reports, and datasets with your co-workers. It can be useful where a user needs to regularly distribute reports to team instead of sending email request repeatedly. Content packs are easy to find as they are all in one location, the content gallery. And since they’re part of Power BI, they leverage all the great features of Power BI including interactive data exploration, new visualizations, Q&A, integration with other data sources, data refresh, and more. Difference Between content packs and sharing dashboard Content packs are different from dashboard sharing which gives your co-workers read-only access to your dashboard and any associated reports. Steps for creating content packs Here we have two Pro Power BI user account. One with name as Kailas where we will be creating content pack and publishing to another Pro Power BI user account Ashish. Ashish can view the content pack and personalize/customize to create his own local copy. Steps for doing the same is as given below: Step 1: Log in to your Power BI account and on top right corner click on ‘Create Content Pack’ as shown below Step 2: Here you can specify email address to share your content pack with either specific members or group. Also select dashboard that needs to be shared via content pack. Automatically it will select related reports and dataset. Click on ‘Publish’ Step 3: On another Power BI user account click ‘Get Data’ and under ‘My Organization’ click ‘Get’ Step 4: Here you can see the name of the content pack shared. Here in this case it is ‘Content Pack Test’. Later click connect Step 5: You can see dashboard, reports and dataset shared here with * marked Step 6: Once you click on dataset, it will prompt you with the below message. Click save and it will personalize to create a local copy so that user can play around and save any work done. You can also check content packs created by clicking on ‘View Content Pack’ as shown below For more details you can also refer the link given below: https://support.powerbi.com/knowledgebase/articles/651040-introduction-to-organizational-content-packs
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Change User’s and Environment in Power BI Desktop for CRM Online Data Source
Prerequisite: Power BI Desktop Tool, Power BI Service, Microsoft Dynamics CRM Online Changing User’s in Power BI Desktop: Many a times we need to change user in Power BI Desktop for developing reports to get data from different perspective. As Power BI Desktop provides data source as CRM Online and also supports data refresh, it plays an important for Power BI users. So here is a trick to quickly change user in Power BI Desktop with CRM Online as data source. Find the steps given below: Step 1: Open your Desktop file and go to File → Options and settings → Data source settings. Step 2: Select the OData URL and right-click and then edit. Step 3: After that under credentials click ‘edit’ and then under ‘Organizational account’ hit ‘Sign in as different user’. You will be prompted to enter new user credentials. That’s it! Changing CRM Environment in Power BI Desktop: This can often be an important option which can be of use to Power BI users. Many a times, report needs to be created and tested first on Sandbox environment and later migrated to Production environment. Once reports are properly verified for look and feel and data manipulations, user can change the environment to some other desired environment. Following are the steps for achieving the same in Power BI Desktop: Step 1: Hit Edit Queries in ribbon Step 2: Click on Advanced Editor and on second line enter your OData URL (for required environment) Source = OData.Feed(https://_____________.crm5.dynamics.com/XRMServices/2011/OrganizationalData.svc) Then click done. This will fetch data from specified CRM Online environment.
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Anil Shah, CEO
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