Power BI 101 @Rice

For Windows users, Power BI Desktop is the recommended tool for building reports. It gives report authors the full desktop authoring experience for connecting to data, shaping queries, modeling relationships, creating measures, designing report pages, and publishing completed work to the Power BI service.

For Mac users, Power BI Desktop is not currently available as a native Mac application. Mac users should use the Power BI service in the browser for viewing reports, interacting with dashboards, using apps, and completing browser-supported editing tasks. If a Mac user needs the full desktop authoring workflow, contact DATA @ Rice so the team can discuss available options.

1. Download from Microsoft: Power BI Desktop.
2. Run the download installer and follow the instructions. When prompted, use your [email protected] to log in just as you did with Microsoft 365.
3. Open Power BI Desktop. You should see your name in the top right corner. If not, please log in again.

For your reports in Power BI, you can bring in your own data from servers in your department, Excel sheets, or other sources. You can also request access to the Rice Enterprise Data Platform to use data curated by the EDBI team. Data that comes from EDBI will typically be provided as a Lakehouse or a semantic model for approved users. The table below shows some trade offs between the two types of data, but as always EDBI is happy to work with your team to get you the best solution.

Shared Dataset	Best For	Pros	Considerations
Lakehouse	Teams that want curated warehouse data with more control over their own reports.	Flexible, private to your team, good for self-service exploration.	Your team manages report refreshes, modeling choices, and AI preparation.
Semantic Model	Teams that want a ready-to-use, governed dataset prepared by EDBI.	Relationships, measures, refreshes, and Copilot preparation can be handled centrally.	Less flexible than direct lakehouse work, but more consistent for shared reporting.

Import data from Excel into Power BI Desktop

1. Open Power BI Desktop.
2. Select Home > Get Data > Excel workbook.

3. Browse to your Excel file and select Open.
4. In the Navigator pane, select the worksheet or table you want to import.
5. Select Load to bring the data into Power BI.

6. The data will now be loaded as a table in Power BI Desktop and you can use it to build visualizations.

Import data from other data sources

Power BI can import data from many sources. Common examples include your department’s SQL or cloud databases, data sources provided to you by EDBI, Lakehouses connected to the Enterprise Data Warehouse, and curated semantic models.

Databases

Use this option for SQL or cloud databases that your team owns or has permission to use.

1. In Power BI Desktop, on the Home tab, select Get Data > SQL Server.
2. In the SQL Server database dialog box, enter the Server and Database names, and make sure the Data Connectivity mode is set to Import. Optionally, under Advanced options, you can specify a SQL statement.

3. Select OK.
4. On the next screen, verify your credentials and select Connect.

Lakehouse

A Lakehouse provides an access point to the Enterprise Data Warehouse for curated datasets. Lakehouse data can be shared with people in your organization and limited to the required warehouse tables. Your team manages refreshes, report modeling, access to your work, and AI data preparation.

1. Select the Lakehouses connector in the connector selection, and then select Connect.

2. In the OneLake data hub, select the lakehouse you want to connect to. Optionally, use All, My data, or Endorsed in your org to filter the Lakehouses displayed, then select Connect. Click the arrow next to Connect and choose SQL endpoint to select the SQL endpoint of the Lakehouse.

3. Select the data you want to build visuals with from the Data pane in Power BI Desktop.

Semantic Model

Semantic models are similar to Lakehouses, but additional work has already been done to the information, such as building relationships, calculations, and measures. EDBI can also prepare the data for Copilot use and manage refreshes. An endorsed semantic model gives users confidence that the dataset is curated and prepared for Power BI reporting.

1. In Power BI Desktop, on the Home tab, select Get Data > Power BI semantic models. Or select Get Data, then under All, select Power BI semantic models, and select Connect. If you are not signed in, Power BI prompts you to sign in.
2. The OneLake Catalog shows the workspaces you are a member of and the shared semantic models where you have Build permission.

3. Select a semantic model, then select Connect to establish a live connection. Power BI Desktop loads the semantic model fields and values in real time.