Forum Discussion
Refresh Direct Query not refreshing
I have a dataset that I changes regularly thoughout the day. I originally created a report using Import data and set the frequency every 30 minutes, which in this case is not ideal but adequate. I started to get regular refresh errors based on capacity which in turn shut my refresh off after 4 failures. So I converted the query to Direct Query instead of Import thinking that this would solve my refresh problem. I completed the report last Friday. Well I checked the report today, and it looks like it has not refreshed since last Friday when the report is deployed. It works fine in Desktop.
I checked the Semantic model and it shows 2 options for refresh. Daily or Weekly. Neither will work for the report. I was under the impression that for frequenly changing data not to use Import but use Direct which I did. How can I get this to work? Very frustrating
Hi bdherh,
Thank you for posting your query in the Microsoft Fabric Community Forum, and thanks to FBergamaschi & Natarajan_M for sharing valuable insights.
DirectQuery models do not use scheduled refresh. Instead, they retrieve data from the source each time a visual is queried. However, in the Power BI Service, query results can be cached, meaning visuals may not automatically reflect the latest data unless the report page is refreshed or Automatic Page Refresh is enabled.
As per Microsoft documentation, in DirectQuery scenarios the data is not imported, so scheduled refresh does not apply to data updates and is only relevant for limited cases such as metadata updates.
Possible solutions:
- Refresh the report page manually
- Use Automatic Page Refresh (APR) for near real-time updates
- Ensure all tables are using DirectQuery mode
- Confirm no tables are set to Import (composite models can behave differently)
For more details, please refer to official Microsoft Doc: Configure scheduled refresh – Power BI
Best regards,
Ganesh Singamshetty
6 Replies
Hi bdherh
whether you use Import or DirectQuery, it seems your capacity is not enough for the data size
Either you shrink the data size (eliminating useless columns for example ar aggregating the data) or you increase the capacity. I do not see other options.
Desktop uses the memory of the machine you use it run, in cloud you use the resources corrsponding to your capacity
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I put a manual refresh button on the reports to give the users the ability to refresh the data if it has not already been reset. Not sure why I had to do this if it is a Direct data access, but I did and it is working for them
Hi bdherh ,
I understand your scenario correctly: you changed the import mode to direct query mode, but you're not seeing the latest data in the report. Could you please provide details on the following questions?
- Do you have all the tables in the semantic model set to direct query, or just the fact table? If possible, please share the data model.
- If all your tables are in import mode except for the fact table, your fact table will be queried directly against the database. However, the other imported tables will still need to be refreshed at regular intervals
- If all your tables are in direct query mode, this setup should always retrieve the latest data from the source, and you do not need to refresh the model.
- Can you pull a measure from the direct query table and create a sample visual using a date or any dimension? Check if the direct query table is working correctly. If you are not getting the desired results, please review your Power Query steps.
Thanks
If this response was helpful in any way, I’d gladly accept a kudo.
Please mark it as the correct solution. It helps other community members find their way fasterHi bdherh,
Thank you for posting your query in the Microsoft Fabric Community Forum, and thanks to FBergamaschi & Natarajan_M for sharing valuable insights.
DirectQuery models do not use scheduled refresh. Instead, they retrieve data from the source each time a visual is queried. However, in the Power BI Service, query results can be cached, meaning visuals may not automatically reflect the latest data unless the report page is refreshed or Automatic Page Refresh is enabled.
As per Microsoft documentation, in DirectQuery scenarios the data is not imported, so scheduled refresh does not apply to data updates and is only relevant for limited cases such as metadata updates.
Possible solutions:
- Refresh the report page manually
- Use Automatic Page Refresh (APR) for near real-time updates
- Ensure all tables are using DirectQuery mode
- Confirm no tables are set to Import (composite models can behave differently)
For more details, please refer to official Microsoft Doc: Configure scheduled refresh – Power BI
Best regards,
Ganesh SingamshettyHello bdherh,
We hope you're doing well. Could you please confirm whether your issue has been resolved or if you're still facing challenges? Your update will be valuable to the community and may assist others with similar concerns.
Thank you.
