I want to publish a dataset to the Power BI Service.
Then, in the Power BI Service, I want to create a set of "canned reports," using that dataset, for all users to see. (Because, for now at least, a Power BI Desktop file can only have one report. Which is a painful limitation...but I've voted for this.) I don't want end users to be able to modify these official, "canned reports."
I also want end users to be able create, modify and share their own reports, in the Power BI Service, using the dataset I published. Self-service BI.
Seems simple, but I don't see how to do this. Any recommendations?
It seems that if I publish to a workspace/group where "Members can only view Power BI content," then members can never create or modify reports -- no self-service BI. But if I publish to a workspace/group where "Members can edit Power BI content," then everyone will be able to edit my "canned reports".
I haven't tried organizational content packs much, yet. I can see how they might do the trick: I publish a content pack to a group, then, "All members of the group have the same read-only access to the content pack data, reports, workbooks, and dashboards...The dashboards, reports, and Excel workbooks are read-only, but an end user can copy and use the dashboards and reports as a starting point for creating their own personalized version of the content pack."
Sounds nice, but I have concerns about this. First, my dataset is in "Import" mode. Its size is currently ~250MB, and I expect it to quickly grow to twice that, and maybe even approach the 1GB limit. When a user gets their own copy of the content pack, does it really make another full copy of the dataset? With the 250MB of data (in this example)? Is that copy stored in the group, or in the user's personal "My Workspace?" Either way, I'm concerned that with all those copies being created,we would quickly hit the limit of 10GB overall storage per group or per user.
Second, the dataset I am publishing is going to be enhanced frequently with new tables, columns, and bug fixes. If Alice wants to build her own reports, and she gets her own copy of the content pack to do so...then a month later I make major changes to the dataset in the original content pack, and re-publish it...now the reports that Alice created in her copy of the content pack are obsolete. She cannot connect them to the newly re-published dataset, with the new data points/bug fixes/etc. that are available in the new dataset. Right?
If all of the above is true, then what I am considering is a "two-workspace solution"...
- Publish the dataset to one workspace/group where the canned reports live, and where "Members can only view Power BI content"
- And also, publish the same dataset to a different "Self-Service" workspace/group where "Members can edit Power BI content" -- this would be the place where users can create and share their own reports
It seems silly to have two workspaces for the same dataset, just for this purpose. But from what I can tell, it might be the best solution.
What do you think? Is there something I'm missing that would better solve my use case? What would you recommend? Thanks for your input!