1. Introduction to Business Intelligence and Power BI
1.3 Components of Power BI
| Component | What it is | Who uses it |
|---|---|---|
| Power BI Desktop | Free Windows application used to connect to data, transform it, build the model and design reports. Files are saved as .pbix (or as a Power BI Project, .pbip). |
Report developers and analysts |
| Power BI Service | The cloud (SaaS) platform at app.powerbi.com. Used to publish, share, schedule refresh, build dashboards and apps. | Developers, business users, administrators |
| Power BI Mobile | Apps for Android and iOS (and Windows) for viewing reports and dashboards on the go. | Managers and business users |
| Power BI Report Server | An on-premises report portal for organisations that must keep reports inside their own servers. Uses a special version of Desktop optimised for Report Server. | Organisations with strict data residency needs |
| On-premises data gateway | A bridge software installed on a machine inside the company network, so the cloud Service can securely refresh or query on-premises data (e.g. a local SQL Server or files on a shared drive). | Administrators, developers |
Other pieces you will hear about: Power BI Report Builder (for pixel-perfect, printable paginated reports), Power BI Embedded (putting reports inside your own apps) and Power BI Visuals Marketplace (AppSource) for custom visuals.
Data sourcesExcel · CSV SQL · Web | → | DesktopPower Query Model · DAX Report | → | Publishto the Service | → | ServiceWorkspaces Refresh · Apps | → | ConsumeBrowser Mobile · Teams |
Figure 1.1 – How the Power BI components work together
Samjla ka? Desktop madhe banvaycha, Service madhe share karaycha – evdha lakshat theva, baki sagla pudhe aapoaap samjel.
Ravindra Bagale's Tip
Mitrano, khup students mix up Desktop and the Service, and try to build data models in the browser or expect scheduled refresh from Desktop. Lakshat theva: you build in Desktop, and you share, refresh and secure in the Service. Keep this split clear in your head from day one. Chuk karu naka!