Metadata translation on a live connection to SSAS

Hi AlB ，

In the following documentation, it is mentioned that the USERCULTURE function may not work correctly in the case of a live connection, the main application scenarios being import mode and direct query mode.

USERCULTURE function (DAX) - DAX | Microsoft Learn

Model control in DirectQuery mode:
In DirectQuery mode, Power BI has greater control over the model, which means that you can define and modify many of the attributes of the data model (e.g., calculated columns, metrics) in Power BI.The DAX functions (e.g., `USERCULTURE()), as well as calculated columns, metrics, and so forth in the native model, can be freely created and modified in Power BI without relying on the native support of the data source.
Model control in Live Connection mode:
In Live Connection mode, the connection between Power BI and SSAS is similar to a “viewer” mode, where Power BI is mainly used as a presentation layer to display the data obtained from the data source in real time.
In this mode, Power BI does not add new calculated columns, metrics, or make changes to the data logic in its native model. This is because in real-time connectivity mode, Power BI does not import or hold data, but rather fetches already processed data from SSAS in real-time and visualizes it directly.

What's the difference between live connections and DirectQuery? - Power BI | Microsoft Learn

I hope these documents can solve your confusion, if you have further questions, you can feel free to contact me, I will reply you as soon as I receive your message!

Hope it helps!

Best regards,
Community Support Team_ Tom Shen

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