Connecting to Datasources and importing data

dats · ‎09-28-2020

Hello,

Not sure if the topic belongs here..

I have read that if I want to share a report through a workspace there is a maximum filesize (CSV) that can be imported into Power Bi which is a dataset of 1 Gigabyte. If I have a source that is bigger than 1 gb can it be imported and later on published if I restrict the import within the query editor?

Does anymoe have experience with connecting PowerBi to an SQL Database or Azure in terms of performance? Does an SQL Database solve the issue of a limited dataset if an import of the data from an SQL Database to PowerBi is used or does Power also create a datset out of the imported data from an sql database?

What is also a valid option for data that exceeds the sharable csv file size

Would be interesting to here some examples.

kr,

dats

MauriceMecowe · ‎09-28-2020

Hi @dats ,

When you import a file into Power BI, the VertiPaq engine applies compression. So if your csv is just over 1 GB, it's worth trying to import it anyways. The average compression ratio of Power BI is between 10:1 and 20:1.

When using DirectQuery (since you're reading the source) there is no data volume limitation, although performance might suffer severely if you're not slimming down your dataset to what you actually need in your report. When just using Azure SQL as a datasource, make sure to support the database with good indexes to help the performance. If you import from a SQL DB, you'll have the same import limitations as a csv.

If you have the option of using SSAS in combination with a SQL Server, that would be the easiest in terms of size and performance in my opinion and experience.

Sincerely,
Maurice

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