Skip to content

Refresh and Background Tasks

Reload the latest metadata from the MetaMiner Server (MMS) with F5, and send long operations to the background so you can keep working in the MetaMiner Client (MMC).

How refresh works

The MMS collects each Power BI environment from Microsoft on its own schedule and rebuilds the environment snapshot from the collected data every few minutes. The client does not replace its trees while you work. It shows the data as of the time in the status bar (Loaded at) until you refresh.

Refresh How What reloads
Full refresh Press F5 or click the refresh button next to Loaded at in the status bar Every environment currently loaded, in parallel. All tabs are rebuilt.
Change the set of environments File > Connection Manager..., tick or untick environments, Apply The environments you selected
Entra data The refresh button on the Entra Users/Groups toolbar Users, groups and licenses for that tab
Snapshot now Right-click the environment row in the Power BI Explorer and choose Force On Demand Pull... Asks the MMS to rebuild the snapshot from the data already collected. It does not start new calls to Microsoft. Press F5 when it finishes.

A change you make in Power BI appears in MetaMiner after the MMS has collected it. How often each kind of data is collected is described in Collection Schedule. Live actions such as Manage Workspace Access read and write the tenant directly, but the explorer tree still shows the collected state until the next collection.

Cancelling a refresh

If you click Stop while a full refresh runs, the client closes its connection to the MMS. Reconnect with File > Connection Manager... (Ctrl+M).

Image of the status bar showing the Loaded at time, the refresh button and the Task History link

../images/client/status-bar-refresh.png

Progress dialogs

Most actions that call the MMS show a progress dialog. Clicking Stop closes the dialog and discards the result in the client. A change that the MMS already started can still complete, so refresh and check the item before you repeat the action.

Run in background

Long operations offer a Run in Background button in their progress dialog. Click it to close the dialog and keep working; the operation continues.

Operations that offer it include:

Restore runs started from the Power BI Backup tab also appear in Task History while they run. See Restore Content.

Task History

Background operations appear under Task History in the status bar. Click it to open the list.

Element Meaning
Status In progress..., Completed, Completed with warnings, Failed or Canceled
Time Completed at, Failed at or Canceled at
Results Opens the result of the operation
Retry Runs a failed operation again
Remove Removes the entry from the list
Clear completed tasks Removes every finished entry

When a background operation finishes, the client shows a short notification in the corner of the screen. The list is kept for the current client session only.

Image of the Task History list with one completed Archive content task and one restore in progress

../images/client/task-history.png

Troubleshooting

The tree does not show an item I just created in Power BI

The MMS has not collected it yet, or you have not refreshed since. Wait for the next collection, then press F5. See Collection Status.

A tab disappeared after refresh

Tabs are re-evaluated on every refresh from your license and permissions. See Main Window Tour.

Next steps