Database change leads to Switching to Import Mode

[v-dabatc]

We have a set of reports that feed from an Azure SQL database, which I'll refer to as the "test" database.  The reports are using DirectQuery.  We'd like to instead have these same reports read from a different database, a production Azure SQL database.  This production database is the same as the test database (same schema as well as same data).  When I connect to the production database, select the table I want to use, and click 'Load', I receive the following message:

Switching to Import Mode

The data source you are trying to connect to is different than the existing DirectQuery data source.  To continue, all queries must be switched to Import mode, which may result in a large amount of data being loaded.

We'd like to keep our charts and filters intact, and only change where the data is coming from.  I saw another post on this site about specifiying port numbers in the connection, but that's not relevant in this case.

[Greg_Deckler]

As a troubleshooting measure, if you create a new Power BI Desktop file and new connection, do you get the option to connect in DirectQuery to that database?

[v-dabatc]

Yes, when I create a new file and connect to my production database, I am presented with the dialog box asking me to choose between Import or DirectQuery.

[pqian · Accepted solution]

@v-dabatc we are aware of this scenario and is actively working on a feature that will help you migrate the report to a different data source.

Since DirectQuery currently has a limitation on single data source, you cannot mix test and prod servers in one report. Instead, once you finished building your report against the test instance, you can click Edit Queries and edit the Source step for each of the queries to change the server to a new one.

[pqian]

I should add that you must change ALL loaded queries at once. In other words, there cannot be two data source instances loaded into a DirectQuery model