Mobile Reports SQL 2016 vs. Power BI - duplicate values table relationship

[kaarel]

Hi,

I've tried to add budget table and sales table to Power BI model, but can't create a relationship using product key, since both got duplicates in them. However, in Mobile Reports SQL 2016 there is no problem. Filtering works, whichever table's product key I use.

I know about star schema, how to do it correctly in Power BI etc. I'm just curious why Microsoft has taken 2 different approaches between similar products...

For a regular user, it would be much easier, not to think about the dimension tables at all.

Cheers,
Kaarel.

[Seth_C_Bauer · Accepted solution]

@kaarel Similiar that they both have the ability to create reports, but outside that these are vastly different tools.

Power BI leverages the same technologies used in SSAS Tabular models...essentially they are the same. This allows you to consume a much larger set of data to see everything, not just small snapshots, so it requires that you follow the current capabilities and rules in building that model.

Different tools for different aspects of your data and reporting needs.

You sound like you have already figured out the solution of just creating a dimension with a unique list of product keys and any metadata. You can than create a relationship from that unique dim to both the tables.