Documentation - BI Automation Interface

Overview

BI Automation Interface lets you refresh datasets in bulk and export refresh history across multiple workspaces. It helps you spot refresh failures quickly across many workspaces and reports. Everything is driven by simple JSON configuration files.

You do not need Power BI admin rights. If you can access a workspace dataset and view refresh history in the cloud, you can use the tool.

Tip: Use workspace name prefixes to select many workspaces at once.

Config Files

Each configuration file is a JSON object. Keys are preset names, and values are arrays of workspace prefixes.

{
  "_instructions": "Remove instruction keys when creating your own config file.",
  "All Prod": ["TeamName_Prod_"],
  "All UAT": ["TeamName_UAT_"],
  "All Dev": ["TeamName_Dev_"],
  "Select All": ["TeamName_Prod_", "TeamName_UAT_", "TeamName_Dev_"]
}

Prefix Matching

Prefixes match the beginning of workspace names. Matching is case-insensitive.

Example: Prefix TeamName_Prod_ matches TeamName_Prod_Apple and TeamName_Prod_BestBuy.

Preset Selection

Choose a preset to quickly select a pre-defined set of workspace prefixes. You can also select all prefixes at once.

Custom Prefixes

Add custom prefixes in the text box. Use commas to separate multiple values.

Tip: Custom prefixes are combined with preset selections.

Trigger Refresh

Select a config file, choose a preset, and click Trigger Refresh to run refreshes in bulk.

Export Refresh History

Use lookback days and top filters to control the output size. You can also provide a custom output path.

Reports include an HTML summary plus CSV outputs for analysis.

Manage Refresh Reports

Preview HTML reports, open the summary CSV, and open the details CSV or Excel output when available.

Sample report files are provided for first-time use, so the page is never empty.

Cleanup Reports

Cleanup removes user-created refresh report entries only. It does not delete anything from your workspaces or datasets.

In-app Help

Each tab has a help button with short explanations of inputs, outputs, and file naming.

Use the help popups whenever you need a quick reminder while working.

Screenshots

Refresh Report Help

Report Preview (Browser)

Manage Config Files

Troubleshooting

Check the Activity Log for errors and warnings. If a config file is deleted, the app falls back to the template.