[Power BI] Add comprehensive documentation for configuring auto refresh in Power BI service

docs-mslearn/toolkit/changelog.md

@@ -24,6 +24,11 @@ This article summarizes the features and enhancements in each release of the Fin
 
 The following section lists features and enhancements that are currently in development.
 
+### [Power BI reports](power-bi/reports.md)
+
+- **Added**
+  - Added comprehensive documentation for [configuring scheduled refresh in Power BI service](power-bi/setup.md#configure-scheduled-refresh-in-power-bi-service) including step-by-step instructions and guidance on when refresh is needed for different data sources.
+
 ### Bicep Registry module pending updates
 
 - Cost Management export modules for subscriptions and resource groups.

docs-mslearn/toolkit/power-bi/help-me-choose.md

@@ -85,7 +85,7 @@ The following table outlines the supported features by each data source option.
 
 _¹ FinOps hubs include a Data Factory pipeline for added benefits on top of Cost Management exports. Pipeline costs are $2/mo per $1 million in spend based on list prices and add support for multiple tenants, scheduling export times, and parquet data conversion._
 
-_² The Cost Management connector for Power BI doesn't support incremental refresh, so the limits are the same as the per-month estimation. Storage-based estimates are based on incremental refresh being enabled, which requires configuration after your report is published._
+_² The Cost Management connector for Power BI doesn't support incremental refresh, so the limits are the same as the per-month estimation. Storage-based estimates are based on incremental refresh being enabled, which requires configuration after your report is published. For guidance on configuring refresh, see [Configure scheduled refresh in Power BI service](setup.md#configure-scheduled-refresh-in-power-bi-service)._
 
 _³ The Cost Management connector uses an old API version and doesn't include details for some features, like savings plans. Use exports or FinOps hubs for the latest version with all details._
 

docs-mslearn/toolkit/power-bi/reports.md

@@ -95,7 +95,7 @@ Configure FinOps hubs or Cost Management exports with KQL or storage reports. Fo
 - Reservation recommendations – Required to see reservation recommendations in the Rate optimization report.
 - Reservation transactions
 
-For more information, see [How to setup Power BI](setup.md#set-up-your-first-report).
+For more information, see [How to setup Power BI](setup.md#set-up-your-first-report). After publishing reports to the Power BI service, see [Configure scheduled refresh](setup.md#configure-scheduled-refresh-in-power-bi-service) to automatically update your data.
 
 <br>
 

docs-mslearn/toolkit/power-bi/setup.md

@@ -105,6 +105,74 @@ If you run into any issues syncing your data, see [Troubleshooting Power BI repo
 
 <br>
 
+## Configure scheduled refresh in Power BI service
+
+After publishing your reports to the Power BI service, you can configure scheduled refresh to automatically update your data on a regular basis. The need for scheduled refresh depends on your data source:
+
+**Data sources that require scheduled refresh:**
+- **Storage-based reports** (Cost Management exports) &ndash; Data is exported periodically and needs to be refreshed to reflect the latest exports.
+- **Azure Resource Graph queries** &ndash; Resource information changes over time and should be refreshed regularly.
+- **FinOps toolkit open data** &ndash; Reference data is updated periodically and should be refreshed to get the latest versions.
+
+**Data sources that do not require scheduled refresh:**
+- **FinOps hubs with Azure Data Explorer** &ndash; Data is automatically ingested and immediately available through KQL queries.
+- **FinOps hubs with Microsoft Fabric** &ndash; Data is automatically ingested and immediately available through SQL queries.
+
+### Set up scheduled refresh
+
+To configure scheduled refresh for your published Power BI reports:
+
+1. **Publish your report to Power BI service:**
+   1. In Power BI Desktop, select **File** > **Publish** > **Publish to Power BI**.
+   2. Choose your workspace and select **Select**.
+   3. Once published, select **Got it** to close the confirmation dialog.
+
+2. **Configure the semantic model refresh:**
+   1. Open the [Power BI service](https://app.powerbi.com) in your web browser.
+   2. Navigate to your workspace.
+   3. In the workspace, locate your semantic model (it has the same name as your report).
+   4. Select the **More options** (three dots) menu for the semantic model.
+   5. Select **Settings**.
+
+3. **Set up data source credentials:**
+   1. In the **Data source credentials** section, configure credentials for each data source:
+      - For **Azure Data Lake Storage Gen2**: Use your organizational account or configure a service principal.
+      - For **Azure Resource Graph**: Use your organizational account with appropriate subscription access.
+      - For **https://github.com/...**: This should already be set to anonymous access.
+   2. Select **Sign in** for each data source that requires authentication.
+
+4. **Configure scheduled refresh:**
+   1. In the **Scheduled refresh** section, turn on **Keep your data up to date**.
+   2. Choose your refresh frequency (for example, **Daily** or **Weekly**).
+   3. Add refresh times that work for your organization.
+   4. Optionally, configure **Refresh failure notifications** to receive email alerts if refresh fails.
+   5. Select **Apply**.
+
+### Refresh frequency recommendations
+
+For optimal performance and cost management:
+
+- **Cost data (exports)**: Daily refresh is typically sufficient as Cost Management exports are usually updated once per day.
+- **Resource data**: Weekly refresh may be sufficient unless you need to track resource changes more frequently.
+- **Reference data**: Weekly or monthly refresh is typically sufficient for FinOps toolkit open data.
+
+For FinOps hubs using Azure Data Explorer or Microsoft Fabric, data is ingested automatically and you don't need to configure refresh schedules.
+
+### Troubleshooting refresh issues
+
+If you encounter refresh failures:
+
+1. **Check data source credentials** &ndash; Ensure all credentials are valid and have appropriate permissions.
+2. **Review the refresh history** &ndash; Check the semantic model settings for error details in the refresh history.
+3. **Verify storage account access** &ndash; Ensure the account has Storage Blob Data Reader access to the storage account.
+4. **Check for data size limits** &ndash; Large datasets may require incremental refresh configuration.
+
+For more information about configuring scheduled refresh in Power BI, see:
+- [Configure scheduled refresh](/power-bi/connect-data/refresh-scheduled-refresh) in Power BI documentation
+- [Configure scheduled refresh for semantic models in Microsoft Fabric](/fabric/data-warehouse/semantic-model-refresh) for Fabric-specific guidance
+
+<br>
+
 ## Use a SAS token to connect data to a report
 
 Shared Access Signature (SAS) tokens allow you to connect to a storage account without end user credentials or setting up a service principal. To connect Power BI reports to your data via SAS tokens: