Introduction
When your semantic models are published to your organization's workspace in Microsoft Power BI service, everyone who needs access to those semantic models can find them in a central location, which provides opportunities for collaboration between teams. It also reduces the duplication of effort because one semantic model can be used by multiple users for different business reasons. For instance, one semantic model can be used to create multiple Power BI reports. Because preparing and cleaning data can be time-consuming, sharing semantic models can be a productivity boost for report authors.
The sharing of semantic models needs to be actively managed for optimal organizational performance. For example, you can automate the refresh process so that it becomes more efficient and users always have access to the latest data. You can also promote certain semantic models over others so that users can clearly identify the best semantic models to use.
Management of semantic models also involves the implementation of parameters within those semantic models to help with decision making and solving business problems. For example, you can use parameters to change the server or database name of your semantic model or a file path for a data source. You can also use parameters to configure incremental refreshes of your data and to run "what-if" scenarios and conduct scenario-type analysis on the data.
Another key area of semantic model management is setting up and maintaining a gateway so that you and other users can access your on-premises data source from the cloud. You also need to prepare for potential issues that might arise regarding this gateway, which could interrupt user access to the semantic models. The effect of a service connectivity issue could be detrimental to user productivity; if they can't access the data, they can't do their jobs, and the organization's decision-making capability will be at a standstill. Being prepared to deal with such issues in a timely manner is critical.
For this module's scenario, you work as a Power BI developer for Tailwind Traders. You have created reports for multiple teams across the organization; however, your work is not yet completed. Report users have asked you to make the reports more dynamic so that they can filter the data themselves. Additionally, they want you to find a way for them to run what-if scenarios. Management has also requested that you help guarantee the coherency and integrity of your semantic models. They want the semantic models available in one place, for future use, and they want you to automate the refresh process to ensure that the data is kept up to date.
By the end of this module, you'll be able to:
Use a Power BI gateway to connect to on-premises data sources.
Configure a scheduled refresh for a semantic model.
Configure incremental refresh settings.
Manage and promote semantic models.
Troubleshoot service connectivity.
Boost performance with query caching (Premium).