Accessing Power BI through The Data Mine

To access Power BI, follow the steps below:

Step 1: Submit a Ticket

Submit a support ticket to The Data Mine team. In your request, include the following information: - Full name - Purdue ID - Purdue email address - The project name or purpose for Power BI access - Whether you will be using a Windows or Mac computer

Once your request is submitted, our team will review it and coordinate with Purdue IT to assign you a student Power BI license.

Step 2: Determine Your Setup

If you’re using a Windows computer: You can download and use Power BI Desktop directly with no additional setup.

If you’re using a Mac: Power BI is not supported natively on macs. You will need to access it through a virtual Windows machine using Anvil. Our team will help determine the best method for your setup.

Step 3: Access Power BI via Anvil (Mac users)

To use Power BI on a Mac, follow these steps to launch a Windows virtual machine:

  1. Go to ondemand.anvil.rcac.purdue.edu/

  2. From the Data Mine dropdown menu, select Desktop

  3. Launch a Desktop session with:

    • 10 cores

    • Max Quality

  4. From the top-left menu, click Applications → Terminal Emulator

  5. In the terminal, enter the following command:

    /anvil/projects/tdm/bin/windows11

  6. You will receive a SPICE server password after the command runs. This step is important and often overlooked.

  7. Once the Windows machine launches, log in with:

    • Username: (leave blank if not prompted)

    • Password: rcacuser23

Step 4: Publishing Your Dashboard

Publishing typically comes later in the project. If you need to publish your dashboard or share access (e.g., with mentors or team members), please contact the Data Science team. We can publish your Power BI dashboard to a workspace and manage permissions for you.

Keep in mind: Power BI is not the most collaborative tool. If you need guidance on how to use it effectively, don’t hesitate to reach out.

Note

If any part of this setup is unclear, or if you’d like help determining the best method for your setup, please contact the Data Science team — we’re happy to assist!