Forum Discussion
Reverse Hybrid table implementation
Scenario
- The Power BI report should load and store the most recent 13 months of data using Import mode, ensuring fast performance and responsiveness for commonly accessed data.
- The report should also allow users to select dates older than the last 13 months via a slicer. When a user selects such an older date, the report should dynamically fetch the relevant data using Direct Query mode, so users can access historical data on demand without impacting the performance of the main report.
- The data model should seamlessly integrate both Import and Direct Query modes, so users experience a unified view regardless of the data source.
- The slicer should display all available dates, but the underlying logic should ensure:
- Dates within the last 13 months are served from Import mode.
- Dates older than 13 months are served from Direct Query mode.
Hey! Yes... this is doable, but not with a single table switching modes automatically. In Power BI you achieve this using a composite model with Hybrid Tables (Incremental Refresh + Real-time).
Recommended approach:
Use one fact table.
Configure Incremental Refresh.
Store the last 13 months in Import.
Keep older data as DirectQuery (real-time partition).
Use a normal Date slicer that shows all dates.
Power BI will automatically route queries:
Last 13 months → Import (fast)
Older dates → DirectQuery (on demand)
Also important to remember: DirectQuery should mainly be used when you truly need real-time or near real-time data. If your dataset refreshes daily (or less frequently), Import mode is usually the better choice for performance, stability, and lower source-system load.
Hope that help,
Best Regards,
4 Replies
Hi Nikhil_Sinha
I kinda feel like you are looking something similar to incremental refresh , please check if this helps : https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/power-bi/connect-data/incremental-refresh-overview
Hey! Yes... this is doable, but not with a single table switching modes automatically. In Power BI you achieve this using a composite model with Hybrid Tables (Incremental Refresh + Real-time).
Recommended approach:
Use one fact table.
Configure Incremental Refresh.
Store the last 13 months in Import.
Keep older data as DirectQuery (real-time partition).
Use a normal Date slicer that shows all dates.
Power BI will automatically route queries:
Last 13 months → Import (fast)
Older dates → DirectQuery (on demand)
Also important to remember: DirectQuery should mainly be used when you truly need real-time or near real-time data. If your dataset refreshes daily (or less frequently), Import mode is usually the better choice for performance, stability, and lower source-system load.
Hope that help,
Best Regards,Hi Nikhil_Sinha
Thank you for reaching out to the Microsoft Fabric community forum.
I would also like to thank you kushanNa and RicardoTraNa for your active participation and for sharing solutions within the community forum.
I hope the information provided helps resolve your issue. If you have any further questions or need additional assistance, please feel free to contact us. We are always here to help.
Best regards,
Community Support Team.Hi Nikhil_Sinha
Just checking in as we haven't received a response to our previous message. Were you able to review the information above? Let us know if you have any additional questions.
Thank You.
