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Overview
Birdview offers a Power BI module where you can have the benefit of Microsoft Power BI technology in a set of canned and custom PBI reports. You can learn more about Power BI reports and their availability here.
When interacting with your custom Power BI reports, you will notice that they are categorized into two types: LIVE and REFRESH.
In this article
This status determines how your report connects to the underlying data source. It directly impacts two things you experience as an end-user: how fast the charts load and how up-to-date the numbers are.
This guide will help you understand the practical differences between these two report types so you can work with your data effectively.
How Live and Refresh Reports Work
The main difference between LIVE and REFRESH reports is how each report receives and serves data.
| Feature | LIVE Reports | REFRESH Reports |
|---|---|---|
| Data Freshness | Near Real-Time (Reflects the latest available data) | Scheduled (Updated periodically throughout the day or week) |
| Loading Speed | Standard (Can take a moment to recalculate upon clicking) | Very Fast (Pre-loaded data enables fast and responsive interactions) |
LIVE Reports (Direct Query)
LIVE reports are built for situations where seeing the absolute latest data is critical.
How you experience it: The report does not store any data inside itself. Instead, every time you open the page, click a filter, or interact with a chart, the report reaches out directly to the live system to fetch the latest figures in near real-time.
The Benefit: You always see live, near real-time data. If a project status or a time log was updated a moment ago, it will typically be reflected in your report shortly after the change is made.
What to keep in mind: Because the report has to calculate data on the fly from the live system, charts might take a few extra seconds to load, especially for large datasets.
REFRESH Reports (Import Model)
REFRESH reports are designed for maximum speed and smooth interaction when near real-time updates are not strictly necessary.
How you experience it: The report takes a snapshot of your data during the refresh process and stores it in an optimized analytical model. When you click through the report, filter data, or switch tabs, the visual elements load very fast.
The Benefit: Blazing-fast performance and an incredibly smooth user experience.
What to keep in mind: The data is static between updates. The report is automatically scheduled to refresh its underlying dataset periodically.
Report Availability
You might wonder why some reports are set to REFRESH instead of LIVE.
The availability of near real-time reporting depends entirely on the report logic, its structural complexity, and the specific API endpoints used to build it. Some complex calculations require significant processing power and are not suitable for real-time execution without impacting report performance.
If a specific report cannot be made available in near real time due to these technical limitations, it is automatically set up as a REFRESH report. In this case, the data is scheduled to refresh automatically on a regular cycle, optimized to match your local operating time zone.
Important
Need help customizing your reports or adjusting your automated refresh schedules? Please reach out to our Support Team!