Create reusable assets, including Power BI templates, Power BI data source (.pbids) files, and shared datasets

Power BI templates are pre-built reports and dashboards that can be reused across multiple projects. These templates contain layouts, visuals, and data connections that can be customized to suit specific needs. To create a Power BI template, follow these steps:

1. Design your report and dashboard with the desired visuals, layouts, and data connections.
2. Once your report is ready, go to the “File” tab in Power BI Desktop and click on “Save As”.
3. Choose the “Power BI Template” option and save the template with a .pbit file extension.
4. The Power BI template can now be shared with others or used in different projects by simply opening the .pbit file in Power BI Desktop.

Power BI templates are a great way to standardize reports and dashboards across an organization. They allow for consistency in design and data connections, saving time and effort in creating similar reports from scratch.

Power BI Data Source (.pbids) Files

When connecting to data sources in Power BI, it is common to use the same set of data connections across multiple reports and dashboards. Power BI data source (.pbids) files are a way to package and distribute these data connections as reusable assets. Here’s how to create a .pbids file:

1. Open Power BI Desktop and go to “File” -> “Options and settings” -> “Data source settings”.
2. In the “Data source settings” dialog box, click on “Add” and select the desired data source.
3. Configure the data source settings, including the connection details, credentials, and any other necessary options.
4. Once the data source is added and configured, click on the “OK” button to save the settings.
5. Go back to the “Data source settings” dialog box, select the added data source, and click on the “Export” button.
6. Choose a location to save the .pbids file, provide a name, and save the file.

Power BI data source (.pbids) files can be shared with others, allowing them to easily connect to the same data sources without reconfiguring the settings. This is especially useful when working with shared data sources in an enterprise environment.

Shared Datasets

Shared datasets in Power BI provide a way to create a centralized and reusable data model that can be used across multiple reports and dashboards. By sharing a dataset, any changes made to the underlying data model will reflect in all reports using that dataset. Here’s how to create a shared dataset:

1. In Power BI Desktop, open the report that contains the desired data model.
2. Go to the “Home” tab and click on the “Publish” button to publish the report to the Power BI service.
3. Once published, go to the Power BI service and open the published report.
4. In the report view, click on the “File” menu and select “Save as” -> “Power BI dataset”.
5. Provide a name and description for the shared dataset, and click on the “Save” button.
6. The shared dataset is now available and can be used in other Power BI reports and dashboards.

Shared datasets provide a consistent and reusable data source for multiple reports, ensuring data integrity and reducing maintenance efforts.

By creating reusable assets such as Power BI templates, Power BI data source (.pbids) files, and shared datasets, you can streamline the development and deployment of enterprise-scale analytics solutions using Microsoft Azure and Power BI. These assets promote consistency, reusability, and efficiency, enabling organizations to derive valuable insights from their data in a faster and more scalable manner.

That’s it! Start creating your reusable assets in Power BI and improve your enterprise-scale analytics solutions today.