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What is PPE Cloud Power BI?

Cody Schneider•

The term "PPE Cloud" in Power BI often sounds like exclusive insider jargon, but it's really just a special testing environment for upcoming features. This article will explain what the Power BI PPE Cloud is, why it's useful for data professionals, and how you can access it to get a sneak peek at what's next.

What Exactly is Power BI? A Quick Refresher

Before diving into the "PPE" part, let's quickly cover the basics. Power BI is Microsoft's powerful business intelligence tool. It’s designed to help companies connect to various data sources, transform raw data into a usable format, and build interactive dashboards and reports. Data analysts, business intelligence developers, and other data-savvy professionals use it to find and share insights, track company performance, and make data-driven decisions. It's a comprehensive platform for serious, in-depth data visualization and analysis.

Decoding the Jargon: What "PPE" Stands For

In the context of Microsoft services like Power BI, PPE stands for Public Preview Environment. Think of it as a sandbox, a beta-test version, or a workshop where new features are made available for public testing before being released to the main, stable version of Power BI that millions of users rely on every day.

Just like video game developers release a beta version for players to find bugs, Microsoft uses the PPE to get feedback from experienced users on new functionalities. This environment is separate and isolated from the primary Power BI service (often called the "production" environment).

  • Production Environment: This is the live, stable Power BI service at app.powerbi.com. It's where your business-critical, day-to-day reports live. It only contains features that have been thoroughly tested and officially released.

  • PPE Environment: This is the testing ground. Features here might be buggy, incomplete, or change significantly before their official release. It's not intended for building reports you intend to rely on for crucial business decisions.

Why Should You Use the Power BI PPE Cloud?

You might be wondering why you'd spend time in a potentially unstable environment. For data professionals and organizations that rely heavily on Power BI, the PPE offers several significant advantages.

1. Get Early Access to New Features

The biggest benefit is getting to see and use new capabilities months before the general public. This head start allows you to understand how new DAX functions, visual types, or data connectors work. You can begin planning how to incorporate them into your workflows and get ahead of the learning curve.

Example: A new AI-powered visual is announced. By using the PPE, you can test it with your specific datasets to see if it genuinely provides valuable insights for your business before it even goes live for everyone else.

2. Test and Validate Before Rollout

Updates, even small ones, can sometimes have unintended consequences on complex data models or existing reports. The PPE allows you to test new features in an isolated environment to ensure a smooth transition when they are eventually released to production.

Example: Your IT team can preview a new data gateway connectivity option in the PPE to see how it impacts security and performance without any risk to your live production data pipelines.

3. Upskill Your Team and Create Training Materials

If you're responsible for training others on Power BI, the PPE is an incredible resource. You can develop training documentation and walkthrough videos about upcoming features so that your team is ready to hit the ground running the day they are officially launched.

4. Provide Direct Feedback to Microsoft

Using features in the PPE gives you a voice in the product's development. If you find a bug or think of a way a feature could be improved, you can provide feedback directly to the Power BI engineering team. Your input can help shape the final product, benefiting the entire Power BI community.

How to Access the Power BI PPE Cloud

Accessing the PPE is surprisingly simple. You don't need a separate subscription or a special login. The easiest method is by modifying the standard Power BI URL.

Follow these steps:

  1. Navigate to the standard Power BI service in your web browser: app.powerbi.com.

  2. Wait for the page to load completely.

  3. Once it's loaded, append the following parameter to the end of the URL:?fabricScenario=PPE

  4. Your final URL should look like this:https://app.powerbi.com/?fabricScenario=PPE

  5. Press Enter. The page will reload, and you will now be in the Public Preview Environment. You might notice subtle visual cues or entirely new options in the user interface that weren't there before.

Remember, this is a separate instance of the Power BI service. Any datasets, reports, or dashboards you create in the PPE will only exist in the PPE and will not appear in your standard production environment.

Important Limitations to Keep in Mind

While the PPE is a valuable tool, it's crucial to be aware of its limitations and use it responsibly.

  • Do NOT Use for Production Reports: This is the most important rule. Features in the PPE can change, break, or be removed without warning. The environment is not bound by the same Service Level Agreements (SLAs) as the production service, meaning it might experience more downtime. Never build a mission-critical report in the PPE.

  • Use Sample or Anonymized Data: It's generally not recommended to upload sensitive or confidential company data into the PPE, as it is a testing environment. Stick to sample datasets or properly securitized versions of your data.

  • Work is Not Transferable: There is no "publish to production" button. Any work you do in the PPE - from data connections to report designs - will likely need to be manually recreated in the production environment once the features are officially released. Look at it as practice, not final work.

  • Support is Limited: If you run into an issue, you can't submit a standard support ticket the way you would for the main Power BI service. Your feedback should be directed through the channels Microsoft provides for preview features.

Final Thoughts

The Power BI Public Preview Environment is your crystal ball into a BI tool’s future. It provides an indispensable testing ground for data professionals to experiment with upcoming features, prepare for new updates, and contribute feedback. By using the PPE, you can safely learn and adapt to changes, ensuring your team is always at the forefront without risking your live business reports.

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