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Download Dataset without data

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Charlie Anstey's profile image

Charlie Anstey on 19 Jul 2019 10:29:46

In Power BI service, when downloading a Dataset, an option should be available to download without data. Sometimes only a small change needs to be applied in the Dataset but we have to wait a long time for Dataset to download due to size of data.

Comments (14)
Charlie Anstey's profile image Profile Picture

on 22 Feb 2022 23:29:09

RE: Download Dataset without data

If I create a .pbix report file in Power BI Desktop with a "Power BI service" live connection to a dataset in the Service, then publish the report to the Service...and if that dataset has incremental refresh policies...then I cannot subsequently download the .pbix report file with the live connection. It says: "Can't export to Power BI Desktop format. This dataset has some features in it that can't be downloaded to a .pbix file." (Namely, incremental refresh policies.)

This is silly! The .pbix I am trying to download just needs to have the live connection to the dataset, and the report definition. It does not HAVE incremental refresh policies; it only points to a dataset that has incremental refresh policies.

Reports should be more separate from datasets. We have many users publishing reports. Please, I need to be able to download the reports as small .pbix files, with "Power BI service" live connections (and no data) -- no matter what.

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Kevin H. on 18 Feb 2022 23:52:04

RE: Download Dataset without data

Ooh, they announced they've released this in the 2022-Feb release. Nice!

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Thomas Weinlick on 19 Oct 2021 17:00:40

RE: Download Dataset without data

Without this feature we are forced to maintain a more complex reporting architecture and self-service process for our users. It is essential we always have the ability to download our Power BI reports from the Service, including those with Live connections to incremental datasets. They are a key part of our strategy.

Charlie Anstey's profile image Profile Picture

on 30 Sep 2021 18:18:31

RE: Download Dataset without data

Currently is is not possible to download a report that Live Connects to a Power BI Dataset if that dataset itself has incremental refresh enabled.

The report itself has no data/partitions, it connects to the dataset that has the data/partitions. Make it possible to download the report.

Note: You can download reports that live connect to SSAS data sources even when the SSAS database has partitions.

Charlie Anstey's profile image Profile Picture

on 30 Sep 2021 18:18:20

RE: Download Dataset without data

Dataset is getting bigger and takes a lot of time to refresh.
We have configured incremental refresh but we cannot download the PBIX anymore in order to make changes in PBI desktop.
Could you please look for the feature in the coming releases of Power BI. It will be very helpful to the many of the users.

Charlie Anstey's profile image Profile Picture

on 30 Sep 2021 18:18:20

RE: Download Dataset without data

Microsoft document for incremental-refresh

Link: https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/power-bi/admin/service-premium-incremental-refresh#configure-incremental-refresh

At present If we were able to download the PBIX file containing an incremental-refresh policy from the Power BI service, it cannot be opened in Power BI Desktop. While this may be supported in the future, keep in mind these datasets can grow to be so large that they are impractical to download and open on a typical desktop computer.

Mandatory requirement - I can understand the above statement from the Microsoft document, but why to completely block the feature, instead the user defined date range can be provided before downloading the PBIX file and manageable size of data to be permitted and should be able to open in Power BI Desktop.

Charlie Anstey's profile image Profile Picture

on 30 Sep 2021 18:18:19

RE: Download Dataset without data

Hi, Currently if a report has incremental refresh enabled, we can't download the pbix. Can we have a limit option set there to decide the amount of data we'd want to download or atleast a limited amount of data.
Say For example, while publishing i published 20mn rows (till June 2020) and then by August the numbers increased to 30mn, i should be able to download the file still.

Charlie Anstey's profile image Profile Picture

on 30 Sep 2021 18:18:19

RE: Download Dataset without data

Currently it is not possible to download a report that Live Connects to a Power BI Dataset if that dataset itself has incremental refresh enabled.

The report itself has no data/partitions, it connects to the dataset that has the data/partitions. Make it possible to download the report.

Note: You can download reports that live connect to SSAS data sources even when the SSAS database has partitions.

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Jan Brooijmans on 30 Sep 2021 08:02:53

RE: Download Dataset without data

This would be particularly useful for other analysts to edit reports in desktop.

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Chandra Shekhar Bhoga on 03 Nov 2020 09:32:55

RE: Download Dataset without data

Hi Microsoft Power BI Team
You've been doing an amazing job keeping in pace with the client requirements for various features. Thanks for your time and effort.
This is a 'must-have' feature. Kindly incorporate this great feature into Incremental Refresh for both Power BI Pro and Premium.
Thanks a million in advance.
Kind regards,
Bhoga

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