The main tool for creating the analytical and visual material is Power BI Desktop. This content may then be shared on the public internet, deployed, and worked on inside the Power BI Service. It can also be optionally incorporated into other portals and apps. Despite being a single program, Power BI Desktop consists of three closely connected parts, each with its own settings and options:
- The data mashup engine and M language underneath the Get Data and Query Editor experience
- The tabular Power BI data modeling engine of SQL Server Analysis Services (SSAS) and its analytical language, DAX
- Power View, the engine for interactive reporting and visualization
Building strong and sophisticated BI and analytics solutions is made feasible by configuring and using these elements in addition to sophisticated analytics and customization tools like R, mobile layout, and natural language queries.
Getting ready
The majority of businesses have policies that limit software downloads from the internet, and many opt to centrally distribute a particular version of Power BI Desktop. For instance, Power BI Desktop in March 2017 would be allowed for use for one to two months and accessible via a corporate IT site, while an internal review of the April 2017 version would take place. BI companies may also create policies that limit the usage of bespoke visualizations, source privacy level settings, and native queries.
How to go about it…
Although Power BI Desktop requires a 110 MB download, it is easy to install and offers a user-friendly Options and Settings interface for customizing.
Setting up and using Power BI Desktop
Install the Power BI Desktop package by downloading it. You may get the Windows installation package (.msi) from the Power BI downloads website (https://powerbi.microsoft.com/en-us/downloads/) or via the Power BI Service.
Utilize the Power BI Service to download
The Power BI Service window has the Download option in the upper-right corner, along with Settings and Notifications. You may also download Power BI Publisher for Excel and the On-Premises Data Gateway, which are covered later in this chapter.
Installer package for 64-bit Power BI Desktop has been downloaded.
The online service will decide which version of Power BI Desktop—64-bit (x64) or 32-bit—is compatible with the operating system on your computer. You will be able to download the most recent version of Power BI Desktop as soon as it becomes available if Power BI Desktop is already installed on your computer and you have chosen to receive updates. New version notifications are provided and enabled by default.
Launch Power BI Desktop. After selecting the file path and agreeing to the license agreement, launch the installation wizard from the.msi package to finish the installation.
Setting up Power BI Desktop preferences
Developers of Power BI content should familiarize themselves with the settings that control performance, security of the data being accessed, user interface options, accessible functionality, and default behaviors through the Power BI choices and data source settings.
While CURRENT FILE settings need to be defined for each Power BI Desktop file, GLOBAL options are applied to all Power BI Desktop files generated or accessed by the user. It is advised to take the below actions for GLOBAL choices.
Verify that the data cache being utilized is less than the Maximum permitted (MB) value on the Data Load Tab. Increase the Maximum allowable (MB) number if it is getting close to the limit and there is still local disc space available. Unless local disc space is limited, avoid clearing the cache as this will necessitate running extra, frequently pointless queries at design time.
Show the formula bar and the query settings pane on the Query Editor tab. More insight into the structure and particular M functions used by individual queries will be possible as a result. Turn on the Allow unrestricted measurements in DirectQuery mode setting on the DirectQuery tab.
To demand user approval for new native database queries, choose the corresponding option on the Security tab. Unlike the queries Power BI creates internally, native queries are user-specified SQL statements given to data sources.
Configure each data source’s privacy level and turn on the option to “Always combine data according to your Privacy Level settings for each source” on the privacy tab. For more information on these settings, see How it Works…
To adjust the privacy level, choose a specific source from the Data Source settings and click Edit Permissions.
Turn on Preview features so you can assess them.
Disable the auto-column types and relationships detection on the Data Load tab for the current file. The Power BI developer who is familiar with the source data should apply these model design choices directly.
How it functions…
By defining data source privacy levels like Organizational or Private, data retrieval algorithms can avoid exposing data from these sources to unsuitable or external data sources. For instance, if a query asks to combine a public and private data source, the join operation will be carried out locally, without sending the private data to the public source. When data sources do not have Privacy Level settings defined, the M query engine will attempt to maximize speed by making use of source system resources.
As new preview features are added and some older choices become widely accessible, the options under Preview features vary with each new edition. Details and illustrations of these new capabilities can be found in the blog article and video for the monthly Power BI Desktop release. When a new preview option is engaged, Power BI Desktop often has to be restarted. Tooltips and dialogue boxes will notify you when a preview feature is being utilized.
Only complicated troubleshooting cases should use the enable tracing option in the Diagnostic Options section, which writes down extensive trace event data to the local hard disc.
There’s more.
Power BI is a cutting-edge, cloud-based, service-oriented analytics platform that releases updated features every month for all of its products. Customer input, market trends, internal ideas, and the Power BI team’s product roadmap are all reflected in these planned releases and upgrades for Power BI Desktop, the Power BI Service, the On-Premises Data Gateway, Power BI mobile apps, and more.
