Power BI: A Comprehensive Guide to the Ultimate Business Intelligence Tool
Introduction to Power BI: The Ultimate Business Intelligence Tool
Power BI is a business analytics service developed by Microsoft that enables users to visualize and analyze data from a wide range of sources. It’s a powerful tool that helps businesses to make better decisions by providing real-time insights into their data. In this article, we’ll provide an overview of Power BI and explore its key features and benefits.
What is Power BI?
Power BI is a suite of business analytics tools that allows users to analyze data and share insights. It consists of a desktop application, a cloud-based service, and mobile apps for Android and iOS devices. With Power BI, users can connect to a wide range of data sources, including Excel spreadsheets, SQL Server databases, and cloud-based services such as Salesforce and Google Analytics.
Key Features of Power BI
- Data Visualization: Power BI provides a wide range of data visualization tools that allow users to create rich and interactive reports and dashboards. These tools include charts, graphs, maps, and tables, as well as custom visualizations created by the Power BI community.
- Data Analysis: Power BI allows users to analyze their data in real-time using powerful data modeling and analysis tools. These tools include data shaping, data modeling, and data analysis expressions (DAX).
- Collaboration: Power BI enables users to collaborate on reports and dashboards in real-time. Users can share their reports and dashboards with others and collaborate on them using the Power BI service or SharePoint Online.
- Mobile Support: Power BI provides mobile apps for Android and iOS devices, allowing users to access their reports and dashboards on the go. The mobile apps provide a seamless experience, with the same visualizations and data available on both desktop and mobile devices.
- Customization: Power BI is highly customizable, with support for custom themes, custom visualizations, and custom data connectors. This allows users to tailor the platform to their specific needs and requirements.
Benefits of Power BI
- Improved Data Insights: Power BI provides real-time insights into data, allowing businesses to make better decisions based on accurate and up-to-date information.
- Increased Efficiency: Power BI automates many data analysis tasks, freeing up time for businesses to focus on other areas of their business.
- Reduced Costs: Power BI is a cost-effective solution for business intelligence, with a low entry point and no need for expensive hardware or software.
- Scalability: Power BI is highly scalable, with support for small and large datasets. It can be used by businesses of all sizes, from small startups to large enterprises.
- Ease of Use: Power BI is designed to be user-friendly and easy to use, with a range of tutorials and resources available to help users get started.
Conclusion
Power BI is a powerful business intelligence tool that provides a wide range of features and benefits for businesses. With its data visualization, data analysis, collaboration, mobile support, and customization features, Power BI enables businesses to make better decisions based on accurate and up-to-date information. Whether you’re a small business owner or a large enterprise, Power BI is a platform that can help you to gain insights into your data and improve your business operations.
SharePoint Framework (SPFx) Toolchain
Node.js
Local JavaScript runtime Engine. Similar to .NET Framework in .NET development.
npm (Node Package Manager)
Package and dependency management. Similar to NuGet
Yeoman
Uses a generator framework to provide scaffolding for Client Side Web part Projects. Similar to Project templates in visual studio. E.g. SharePoint project templates in Visual Studio
Visual Studio Code or any IDE that supports client-side development to build your web part.
Use for Building and Debugging web applications
Visual Studio Code
Atom
WebStorm
TypeScript
Super set of JavaScript and an Open Source Programming language. It’s provide Static Typing, Classes and Interfaces
Gulp
This is similar to MSBuild. It automates the repetitive tasks for Build, packaging and deployment processes during the development.
Workbench
To Preview client side web parts running locally without deploying to SharePoint
More Resources
SharePoint 2013 Excel Service 401 Error
Recently when I’m working with SharePoint Excel services i received below error message.
“Before Opening Book ObjectSystem.Net.SystemNetworkCredentialSystem.Net.WebException: The request failed with HTTP status 401: Unauthorized. at System.Web.Services.Protocols.SoapHttpClientProtocol.ReadResponse(SoapClientMessage message, WebResponse response, Stream responseStream, Boolean asyncCall) at System.Web.Services.Protocols.SoapHttpClientProtocol.Invoke(String methodName, Object[] parameters) at ExcelService.OpenWorkbook(String workbookPath, String uiCultureName, String dataCultureName, Status[]& status)”
to get rid of this error you have to disable “Loopback Check” from front end servers and app servers. you can follow these steps to disable Loopback Check.
Method 1: Specify host names (Preferred method if NTLM authentication is desired)
- Click Start, click Run, type regedit, and then click OK.
- In Registry Editor, locate and then click the following registry key: HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\Lsa\MSV1_0
- Right-click MSV1_0, point to New, and then click Multi-String Value.
- Type BackConnectionHostNames, and then press ENTER.
- Right-click BackConnectionHostNames, and then click Modify.
- In the Value data box, type the host name or the host names for the sites, and then click OK.
- Quit Registry Editor, and then restart the IISAdmin service.
Method 2: Disable the loopback check (less-recommended method)
- Click Start, click Run, type regedit, and then click OK.
- In Registry Editor, locate and then click the following registry key:HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\Lsa
- Right-click Lsa, point to New, and then click DWORD Value.
- Type DisableLoopbackCheck, and then press ENTER.
- Right-click DisableLoopbackCheck, and then click Modify.
- In the Value data box, type 1, and then click OK.
- Quit Registry Editor, and then restart your computer.
Happy Coding 
Anonymous Users get Credentials Prompt For Default “osssearchresults.aspx” Search Page on SharePoint Publishing Site
Recently i came across a weird kind of issues..i have SharePoint 2013 farm with Several host header site collection.those site collections are enable to the public also, therefore all anonymous users can view those site collections.Except one site collection anonymous user can access “osssearchresults.aspx” default search page.all site collections are in the same web application.to verify the problem i created a separate web part page and inserted “Search Box” web part and “Search Result” Web part.still the same problem new page also prompting the user credentials for anonymous users.then i used fiddler to identify what are the pages that are prompting permission.actually it’s not pages. there are some “JS” files that required user credentials. reason is those files are not published properly.so what i did was i “checked in” all those “JS” files by publishing major version of those files.
*Note :- “Control_SearchBox.js and Control_SearchResult.js” are the two main files related to “osssearchresults.aspx” page..therefore make sure you publish/”check in” the major version of those two files.
below you can find two directories.you need to “check in” all unpublished “JS” files in these two directories.using SharePoint designer navigate to these directories and publish/”check in” new version of it’s “JS” files.SharePoint use these “JS” files in “Search Box” and “Search Result” Web Parts.if these files are not publish/”check in” properly that means anonymous users cannot access these files.that’s why “Search Box” and “Search Result” web parts are prompting for credentials.
“Catelogs/masterpages/display template/search”
“Catelogs/masterpages/display template/finters “
if the problem still exist use “Fiddler” to identify remaining files which are still prompting for credentials .you can download Fiddler using this link. Hope This is help to you.. 🙂
Brunei Cloud Users Group Monthly Gathering – October 2016
I’m really happy to announce that I will be speaking at the Brunei Cloud Users Group in Brunei, October 29 2016.
More Information
http://www.sharepointbrunei.net/
praneeth@sptricks.com
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Brunei Cloud Users Group Monthly Gathering – December 2015
I’m really happy to announce that i will be speaking at the Brunei Cloud Users Group in Brunei, December 19 2015.
More Information
http://www.sharepointbrunei.net/
praneeth@sptricks.com
Brunei Cloud Users Group Monthly Gathering – October 2015
I’m really happy to announce that i will be speaking at the Brunei Cloud Users Group in Brunei, October 31 2015. http://www.sharepointbrunei.net/
SharePoint Brunei User Group Monthly Gathering – March 2015
I’m really happy to announce that i will be speaking at the SharePoint Brunei User Group in Brunei, March 31 2015. http://www.sharepointbrunei.net/
SharePoint Brunei User Group Monthly Gathering – February 2015
I’m really happy to announce that i will be speaking at the SharePoint Brunei User Group in Brunei, February 28 2015. http://www.sharepointbrunei.net/
SP Tricks 