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Data visualization using Power BI#

Context and Environment#

User profile(s): Data analysts

User need: Data visualization

User request: The users want to use Power BI as their visualization tool, to be hosted in an Amazon WorkSpace, or a Windows Virtual Desktop environment.

Furthermore, the users have also requested a range of Database solutions and Object Storage solutions for hosting their relational and non-relational datasets.

As the users are working with a wide range of stakeholders using different cloud platforms, Database solutions and Object Storage solutions need to be deployed both inside AWS and Azure, and will consist in Amazon S3 Data Lake, Azure Data Lake, Relational Database servers (Amazon Relational Databases and Azure Relational Databases), and Amazon DocumentDB.

Purpose: to centralize and share Power BI dashboards with all the stakeholders

Environments: AWS and Azure

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The resources in both AWS and Azure are located in a private subnet. This isolates the resources from the public internet, creating a secure environment for the users to work.

Also, thanks to established VPN connections between the AWS and the Azure virtual networks of the EC Data Platform, the AWS and Azure services can seamlessly communicate with each other, regardless if Power BI is hosted in AWS or Azure.

Accessing the infrastructure#

To access the Power BI Data Visualization tool, DSL users have to:

  • Step 1. From their local machine, connect to the Amazon WorkSpaces using the WorkSpaces client. More information can be found in the user documentation of Amazon WorkSpaces. However, please note that Power BI can equally be accessed using Azure Windows Virual Desktop.

  • Step 2. When inside the desktop environment of Amazon WorkSpaces (or inside the Azure Windows Virtual Desktop), the users can launch the application of Power BI. More information can be found in the user documentation of Power BI.

  • Step 3. The users can import data to Power BI from any of the deployed Database or Object Storage solutions. More information can be found in the user documentation of Power BI.