Direct Query Limitations - Power BI Certification

[dannycalvo]

I am taking a preparation course for the Power Bi Certification on Coursera. The course has so many examples regarding how to connect to online databases, set your data for direct query, create composite data bases, and also setting your preferences for data updates. Unfortunately, all of those require an online database I can access and play with. How can I make that work affordably? Unfortunately, the course does not provide access to those resources. 

[v-xianjtan-msft]

Hi @dannycalvo 

Thank you rajendraongole1 for your excellent reply.

If rajendraongole1's reply has already helped you solve your problem, please accept his reply as a solution to make it easier for other users with the same problem to find a solution quickly.

Microsoft provides AdventureWorks sample databases for users to learn and test. Please refer to the link below to download the backup file and how to restore to SQL Server in SQL Server Management Studio (SSMS) or Azure Data Studio.

AdventureWorks sample databases - SQL Server | Microsoft Learn

Best Regards,
Jarvis Tang
If this post helps, then please consider Accept it as the solution to help the other members find it more quickly.

[rajendraongole1 · Accepted solution]

Hi @dannycalvo  - Please find the following list of details:

a. Microsoft SQL Server on Azure (Free Tier)
Azure Free Account: Microsoft Azure offers a free trial with $200 in credits for the first 30 days and a limited free tier after that.
Create an Azure SQL Database and connect it to Power BI using the SQL Server connector.
Steps:
Sign up for an Azure Free Account.
Set up an Azure SQL Database using the free tier (e.g., DTU-based Basic).
Populate the database using sample data (e.g., AdventureWorks database).
Connect to Power BI using the server name and credentials.
AdventureWorks and Contoso Databases:

• Microsoft provides these datasets for SQL Server as sample business databases.
• Download and host them on your local SQL Server, or upload them to a free-tier online database like Azure SQL.
• AdventureWorks Download Link.

Data.gov Home - Data.gov

Kaggle: Your Machine Learning and Data Science Community Use public APIs or free datasets to create your own online data source.