Performance Analyzer GUI vs JSON

[loisloriot]

Hi,

I'm trying to understand data exported from the Power BI Performance Analyzer.

The GUI display is quite easy to understand and the doc is explaning it well:

• DAX query - if a DAX query was required, this is the time between the visual sending the query, and for Analysis Services to return the results.
• Visual display - time required for the visual to draw on the screen, including time required to retrieve any web images or geocoding.
• Other - time required by the visual for preparing queries, waiting for other visuals to complete, or performing other background processing.

But once you export the data into a JSON file, you get a very different hierarchy/categories and I can't find any informations about it.

I guess it looks like following:

(from left to right)

User Action
Visual Container Lifecycle	Render	Data View Transform
Visual Container Lifecycle	Query	Query Generation
Visual Container Lifecycle	Query	Execute Semantic Query	Execute DAX Query	Execute Query	Serialize Rowset

And:

Report Canvas	User Action
Report Canvas	Visual Container Lifecycle
Report Canvas	Render
Report Canvas	Query
Report Canvas	Data View Transform
Report Canvas	Query Generation
DSE	Execute Semantic Query
DSE	Execute DAX Query
AS	Execute Query
AS	Serialize Rowset

After testing and comparing it, I guess the GUI DAX query is for the JSON Execute DAX Query and the GUI Visual display is for Render but I have no clue about the rest 

Am I missing something? Do you know where I can find more information about the data inside the JSON file and who to match it with the GUI display?

I tried to compare this:

Performance Analyzer GUI

With the JSON exported:

{"version":"1.0.0","events":[{"name":"User Action","component":"Report Canvas","start":"2019-06-26T09:46:42.601Z","id":"ccdc8d42a77262a7c866","metrics":{"sourceLabel":"UserAction_Refresh"}},{"name":"Visual Container Lifecycle","component":"Report Canvas","start":"2019-06-26T09:46:42.605Z","end":"2019-06-26T09:46:42.689Z","id":"4f4ad20c7589b5410055","metrics":{"status":"finished","visualTitle":"Slicer"}},{"name":"Query","component":"Report Canvas","start":"2019-06-26T09:46:42.606Z","end":"2019-06-26T09:46:42.680Z","id":"ddeb60c0055ae5117113","parentId":"4f4ad20c7589b5410055"},{"name":"Render","component":"Report Canvas","start":"2019-06-26T09:46:42.679Z","end":"2019-06-26T09:46:42.689Z","id":"00c7257f7c270570e97a","parentId":"4f4ad20c7589b5410055"},{"name":"Data View Transform","component":"Report Canvas","start":"2019-06-26T09:46:42.683Z","end":"2019-06-26T09:46:42.684Z","id":"3d1f1275c5e60e2387d7","parentId":"00c7257f7c270570e97a"},{"name":"Query Generation","component":"Report Canvas","start":"2019-06-26T09:46:42.618Z","end":"2019-06-26T09:46:42.619Z","id":"aa1ee88180dc08d344d3","parentId":"ddeb60c0055ae5117113"},{"name":"Execute Semantic Query","component":"DSE","start":"2019-06-26T09:46:42.665Z","end":"2019-06-26T09:46:42.672Z","id":"5e13d473-6a2b-452b-9ca8-84c70e7fcdf4","parentId":"ddeb60c0055ae5117113"},{"name":"Execute DAX Query","component":"DSE","start":"2019-06-26T09:46:42.668Z","end":"2019-06-26T09:46:42.672Z","id":"af473852-aa88-4f43-b379-a841b2a8cee9","parentId":"5e13d473-6a2b-452b-9ca8-84c70e7fcdf4","metrics":{"QueryText":"EVALUATE\r\n  TOPN(101, VALUES('Sources'[Source file name]), 'Sources'[Source file name], 1)\r\n\r\nORDER BY\r\n  'Sources'[Source file name]","RowCount":8}},{"name":"Execute Query","component":"AS","start":"2019-06-26T09:46:42.670Z","end":"2019-06-26T09:46:42.670Z","id":"D8C45547-7EC0-43A1-B33B-2FABBED74ECC","parentId":"af473852-aa88-4f43-b379-a841b2a8cee9"},{"name":"Serialize Rowset","component":"AS","start":"2019-06-26T09:46:42.670Z","end":"2019-06-26T09:46:42.670Z","id":"A4D76E75-1320-49EC-919A-F9B2624AB3F2","parentId":"D8C45547-7EC0-43A1-B33B-2FABBED74ECC"},{"name":"Visual Container Lifecycle","component":"Report Canvas","start":"2019-06-26T09:46:42.607Z","end":"2019-06-26T09:46:42.702Z","id":"0e637d6ab00791aad5dc","metrics":{"status":"finished","visualTitle":"Average of Duration in second by Event component"}},{"name":"Query","component":"Report Canvas","start":"2019-06-26T09:46:42.607Z","end":"2019-06-26T09:46:42.695Z","id":"d328a2280ea702328479","parentId":"0e637d6ab00791aad5dc"},{"name":"Render","component":"Report Canvas","start":"2019-06-26T09:46:42.694Z","end":"2019-06-26T09:46:42.702Z","id":"463a184031590cbdd81b","parentId":"0e637d6ab00791aad5dc"},{"name":"Data View Transform","component":"Report Canvas","start":"2019-06-26T09:46:42.697Z","end":"2019-06-26T09:46:42.698Z","id":"6a9e1b677c169a6de00b","parentId":"463a184031590cbdd81b"},{"name":"Query Generation","component":"Report Canvas","start":"2019-06-26T09:46:42.619Z","end":"2019-06-26T09:46:42.621Z","id":"8b07662b3a29e8dc6800","parentId":"d328a2280ea702328479"},{"name":"Execute Semantic Query","component":"DSE","start":"2019-06-26T09:46:42.665Z","end":"2019-06-26T09:46:42.673Z","id":"73e37c36-c829-4f02-823b-fb73a2233178","parentId":"d328a2280ea702328479"},{"name":"Execute DAX Query","component":"DSE","start":"2019-06-26T09:46:42.668Z","end":"2019-06-26T09:46:42.673Z","id":"c8d980cf-0e50-447d-855a-43ce4efec94d","parentId":"73e37c36-c829-4f02-823b-fb73a2233178","metrics":{"QueryText":"EVALUATE\r\n  TOPN(\r\n    1002,\r\n    SUMMARIZECOLUMNS(\r\n      'Attributes'[Event component],\r\n      \"AverageDuration_in_second\", CALCULATE(AVERAGE('Attributes'[Duration in second]))\r\n    ),\r\n    [AverageDuration_in_second],\r\n    0,\r\n    'Attributes'[Event component],\r\n    1\r\n  )\r\n\r\nORDER BY\r\n  [AverageDuration_in_second] DESC, 'Attributes'[Event component]","RowCount":3}},{"name":"Execute Query","component":"AS","start":"2019-06-26T09:46:42.670Z","end":"2019-06-26T09:46:42.673Z","id":"3F0173F8-E264-4F12-BA89-D5F4970725E7","parentId":"c8d980cf-0e50-447d-855a-43ce4efec94d"},{"name":"Serialize Rowset","component":"AS","start":"2019-06-26T09:46:42.673Z","end":"2019-06-26T09:46:42.673Z","id":"63DEC83B-9498-44C8-AED8-42702CB81A8D","parentId":"3F0173F8-E264-4F12-BA89-D5F4970725E7"},{"name":"Visual Container Lifecycle","component":"Report Canvas","start":"2019-06-26T09:46:42.608Z","end":"2019-06-26T09:46:42.730Z","id":"28f4da8fd13884ebb507","metrics":{"status":"finished","visualTitle":"Average of Duration in second by Event name and Event component"}},{"name":"Query","component":"Report Canvas","start":"2019-06-26T09:46:42.608Z","end":"2019-06-26T09:46:42.716Z","id":"a65d5baf00d59810b06d","parentId":"28f4da8fd13884ebb507"},{"name":"Render","component":"Report Canvas","start":"2019-06-26T09:46:42.716Z","end":"2019-06-26T09:46:42.730Z","id":"36e8a808c4b70040268e","parentId":"28f4da8fd13884ebb507"},{"name":"Data View Transform","component":"Report Canvas","start":"2019-06-26T09:46:42.717Z","end":"2019-06-26T09:46:42.719Z","id":"db8658f0dd3873b18360","parentId":"36e8a808c4b70040268e"},{"name":"Query Generation","component":"Report Canvas","start":"2019-06-26T09:46:42.621Z","end":"2019-06-26T09:46:42.622Z","id":"61a0614382d084817bcd","parentId":"a65d5baf00d59810b06d"},{"name":"Execute Semantic Query","component":"DSE","start":"2019-06-26T09:46:42.665Z","end":"2019-06-26T09:46:42.682Z","id":"79d5cfec-127a-437b-b19e-d96d4f5acf3f","parentId":"a65d5baf00d59810b06d"},{"name":"Execute DAX Query","component":"DSE","start":"2019-06-26T09:46:42.669Z","end":"2019-06-26T09:46:42.681Z","id":"d4ea411c-c68f-4294-aaf6-3be4fa459d03","parentId":"79d5cfec-127a-437b-b19e-d96d4f5acf3f","metrics":{"QueryText":"DEFINE\r\n  VAR __DS0Core = \r\n    SUMMARIZECOLUMNS(\r\n      'Attributes'[Event name],\r\n      ROLLUPADDISSUBTOTAL('Attributes'[Event component], \"IsGrandTotalColumnTotal\"),\r\n      \"AverageDuration_in_second\", CALCULATE(AVERAGE('Attributes'[Duration in second]))\r\n    )\r\n\r\n  VAR __DS0CoreOnlyOutputTotals = \r\n    SELECTCOLUMNS(\r\n      KEEPFILTERS(FILTER(KEEPFILTERS(__DS0Core), [IsGrandTotalColumnTotal] = FALSE)),\r\n      \"'Attributes'[Event name]\", 'Attributes'[Event name],\r\n      \"'Attributes'[Event component]\", 'Attributes'[Event component],\r\n      \"AverageDuration_in_second\", [AverageDuration_in_second]\r\n    )\r\n\r\n  VAR __DS0CoreTableByDM0 = \r\n    SELECTCOLUMNS(\r\n      KEEPFILTERS(FILTER(KEEPFILTERS(__DS0Core), [IsGrandTotalColumnTotal] = TRUE)),\r\n      \"'Attributes'[Event name]\", 'Attributes'[Event name],\r\n      \"SortBy_DM0_0\", [AverageDuration_in_second]\r\n    )\r\n\r\n  VAR __DS0PrimaryWithSortColumns = \r\n    NATURALLEFTOUTERJOIN(\r\n      SUMMARIZE(__DS0Core, 'Attributes'[Event name]),\r\n      __DS0CoreTableByDM0\r\n    )\r\n\r\n  VAR __DS0Primary = \r\n    TOPN(201, __DS0PrimaryWithSortColumns, [SortBy_DM0_0], 0, 'Attributes'[Event name], 1)\r\n\r\n  VAR __DS0Secondary = \r\n    TOPN(\r\n      62,\r\n      SUMMARIZE(__DS0CoreOnlyOutputTotals, 'Attributes'[Event component]),\r\n      'Attributes'[Event component],\r\n      1\r\n    )\r\n\r\nEVALUATE\r\n  __DS0Secondary\r\n\r\nORDER BY\r\n  'Attributes'[Event component]\r\n\r\nEVALUATE\r\n  NATURALLEFTOUTERJOIN(\r\n    __DS0Primary,\r\n    SUBSTITUTEWITHINDEX(\r\n      __DS0CoreOnlyOutputTotals,\r\n      \"ColumnIndex\",\r\n      __DS0Secondary,\r\n      'Attributes'[Event component],\r\n      ASC\r\n    )\r\n  )\r\n\r\nORDER BY\r\n  [SortBy_DM0_0] DESC, 'Attributes'[Event name], [ColumnIndex]","RowCount":13}},{"name":"Execute Query","component":"AS","start":"2019-06-26T09:46:42.673Z","end":"2019-06-26T09:46:42.680Z","id":"F2CC4AED-5D83-4F64-9FD1-941B655DE695","parentId":"d4ea411c-c68f-4294-aaf6-3be4fa459d03"},{"name":"Serialize Rowset","component":"AS","start":"2019-06-26T09:46:42.680Z","end":"2019-06-26T09:46:42.680Z","id":"D55C90D9-7B48-4019-9856-2A472DBC0AE7","parentId":"F2CC4AED-5D83-4F64-9FD1-941B655DE695"}]}

I don't clearly understand how (based on the example I provided), we come from:

DATA FROM PERFORMANCE ANALYZER GUI
Name	Duration (ms)
Slicer	84
DAX query	4
Visual display	10
Other	70

to:

DATA FROM JSON FILE
Metric Visual Tile	Metric Source Label	Component	Name	Duration (ms)
	UserAction_Refresh	Report Canvas	User Action	/
Slicer		Report Canvas	Visual Container Lifecycle	84
		Report Canvas	Render	10
		Report Canvas	Query	74
		Report Canvas	Data View Transform	1
		Report Canvas	Query Generation	1
		DSE	Execute Semantic Query	7
		DSE	Execute DAX Query	4
		AS	Execute Query	0
		AS	Serialize Rowset	0

and also, where to find a definition of Report Canvas/DSE/AS/Visual Container Lifecycle and all others?

Thanks!

Loïs

[v-yuta-msft]

@loisloriot ,

Currently there's no doc which can explain every fields in the exported json file. I would suggest you to submit your idea here to let power bi team know your requirement.

Regards,

Jimmy Tao

[loisloriot]

Hi @v-yuta-msft ,

Just did it:

https://ideas.powerbi.com/forums/265200-power-bi-ideas/suggestions/38054662-performance-analyzer-jso...

Thanks!

[loisloriot]

Hi @v-yuta-msft,

I also added an comment on the MicrosoftDoc GitHub since it's linked to the MSDN doc!

https://github.com/MicrosoftDocs/powerbi-docs/issues/1210

Regards,

Lois