A workspace in Power BI is a collaborative area where you can curate, share, and manage your content, such as reports, dashboards, and datasets. It is in these workspaces that you can create, update, and manage your workspace apps.
To configure a workspace app, follow the steps below:
- Open the workspace: Start by locating and clicking on the targeted workspace within the Power BI service.
- Navigate to workspace settings: Click on workspace settings, usually denoted by a gear icon.
- Choose the ‘Premium’ tab: This tab enables you to leverage the benefits of Power BI premium, such as higher capacity and better performance.
- Toggle the premium settings: Disable or enable Power BI premium as per your requirements. However, remember to consider factors such as performance, capacity, and costs before you make any changes.
- Save changes: After tweaking your settings, remember to click on ‘Apply’ to save the changes made.
Updating a Workspace App
Updating a workspace allows you to keep up with changing business requirements and trends. To update a workspace app, follow the steps outlined below:
- Open the workspace: Locate and click on the workspace you want to update within the Power BI service.
- Navigate to the workspace settings: Click on Workspace settings, usually located next to the workspace name.
- Choose the ‘General’ tab: The general tab allows you to configure main features of your workspace.
- Update your settings: You can modify the name, description, and image of your workspace in the general tab. Additionally, you can also change the workspace contact and data encryption settings.
- Save your changes: Click on ‘Apply’ to save the changes you have made.
Example Scenario
Let’s examine a scenario where a business needs to configure and update its workspace app to enable power BI premium and change the workspace contact details.
Configuration:
To configure the workspace and enable Power BI premium:
- Open the workspace from the Power BI service.
- In the workspace settings, choose the ‘Premium’ tab.
- Toggle the premium setting to ‘ON’.
- Click on ‘Apply’ to save the changes.
Updating:
To update the workspace and change the workspace contact details:
- Open the same workspace from the Power BI service.
- In the workspace settings, select the ‘General’ tab.
- Replace the old workspace contact details with new ones.
- Click on ‘Apply’ to save the changes.
Understanding how to configure and update workspace apps will undoubtedly enhance your data analysis skills in Power BI. These skills, tested in the PL-300 exam, are crucial for data-based decision-making in any business organization.
Practice Test
True or False: Once you publish your app, you cannot update it anymore.
- True
- False
Answer: False
Explanation: You can update your app by republishing it. All changes to the workspace are carried forward when you republish it.
True or False: An app can be configured to automatically install for the entire organization.
- True
- False
Answer: True
Explanation: You can configure your app to “Install automatically” which will install it for anyone in your organization when it’s published.
True or False: Apps in Power BI are read-only.
- True
- False
Answer: True
Explanation: Apps in Power BI offer a read-only experience and allow, report consumers, to drill through the pages.
Which of the following can be done while configuring a workspace app? (Choose all that are correct)
- A) Invite external users
- B) Assign workspace roles
- C) Choose languages for localization
- D) Configure automatic page refresh
Answer: A, B, D
Explanation: While configuring a workspace app, you can invite external users, assign workspace roles, and configure automatic page refresh. Choosing languages for localization is done at the dataset level.
True or False: A workspace can have multiple owners in Power BI.
- True
- False
Answer: True
Explanation: A workspace can have multiple owners. As an owner, you can add, remove, or change the owner of any workspace, even if you didn’t create it.
What role should you assign to a user if you only want them to view reports and dashboards in a workspace?
- A) Viewer
- B) Member
- C) Contributor
- D) Admin
Answer: A) Viewer
Explanation: The Viewer’s role in a workspace is to view content. They cannot modify content or configuration of the workspace, though they can potentially write back data if the report supports it.
Which of the following can be used to update a published app in Power BI?
- A) Publish the app again
- B) Update settings from the workspace
- C) The user has to uninstall the old version and install the new one manually
Answer: A) Publish the app again
Explanation: Once an app is published, it can be updated by the owner by republishing it. The users will automatically get the updated version.
True or False: Everyone in the organization can discover and install organizational content packs.
- True
- False
Answer: False
Explanation: As of March 2019, organizational content packs have been replaced by apps, and the ability to create them has been deprecated.
Which of the following are options when publishing a workspace app? (Choose all that are correct):
- A) Publish to Web
- B) Publish to Teams
- C) Publish to My Workspace
- D) Publish to Power BI Home
Answer: B) Publish to Teams
Explanation: When publishing an app, you can choose to publish it to Power BI Teams. Options like Publish to Web and My Workspace are not applicable for Workspace apps.
Who can publish a Power BI workspace app?
- A) Viewer
- B) Member
- C) Contributor
- D) Admin
Answer: D) Admin
Explanation: Only workspace owners, or admins, can publish a Power BI workspace app. Other roles do not have this permission.
Interview Questions
In Power BI, what is a workspace app?
A workspace app in Power BI is a type of content distribution method. It allows publishing of multiple reports, dashboards, and datasets present in a workspace as a single package to other users.
How can you update a workspace app in Power BI?
To update a workspace app in Power BI, you first need to make changes in the workspace. Then, navigate to the workspace view, click “Update app” to apply the changes, and publish the app.
What user permissions are required to configure and update a workspace app?
In Power BI, to configure and update a workspace app, the user must be a workspace member with an Admin, Member, or Contributor role.
What are the steps to create a workspace app in Power BI?
To construct a workspace app in Power BI, you need to create a workspace, add content to the workspace, set workspace access, configure app settings, and then, finally, publish the app.
Can you control what users see in a workspace app in Power BI?
Yes, when configuring a workspace app in Power BI, you can control what users see through the app’s permissions and navigation settings.
How can you restrict access to a workspace app in Power BI?
You can restrict access to a workspace app by defining the audience during the configuration of permissions in the app settings before publishing it.
What happens when an updated workspace app is published in Power BI?
When an updated workspace app is published, the changes are pushed to all the app’s users in Power BI. Users get a notification about the update.
What are the possible roles that can be assigned to Power BI workspace members while configuring a workspace app?
The roles that can be assigned to Power BI workspace members are Admin, Member, Contributor, and Viewer.
What happens if a user does not have access to a particular dataset within an app in Power BI?
If a user does not have access to a particular dataset within an app in Power BI, they will not be able to view any reports or dashboards derived from that dataset.
Can third-party apps be used within a Power BI workspace?
Yes, Power BI integrates with various third-party applications and data sources, offering users the opportunity to pull in data and create comprehensive reports and dashboards.
Can you unpublish a workspace app in Power BI?
Yes, you can unpublish a workspace app by navigating to the workspace, selecting the app setting, and clicking ‘Unpublish’.
What is the role of app navigation settings while configuring a workspace app in Power BI?
App navigation settings allow you to define the way that content is structured and displayed in the workspace app. You can group and order them according to your requirements.
Can you embed a workspace app in another site or portal?
Yes, Power BI allows you to create and manage workspace apps that can be embedded in other sites and portals.
Can non-Pro Power BI users access workspace apps?
Non-Pro Power BI users can only access workspace apps if the organization has Premium workspaces. Otherwise, Pro license is required.
How can you enable automatic page refresh in a workspace app in Power BI?
To enable automatic page refresh in a workspace app, you need to go to the dataset settings, select the respective dataset, turn on automatic page refresh, and set the refresh frequency.