Stuck on "Creating Connection in model..." when loading related Salesforce rows

[ddcjoee]

I am building a dashboard from Salesforce Cases, and my org has a Parent Case/Child Case relationship set up. I need to load data from a Child Case's Parent Case in Salesforce into Power BI.

So far, I identified that I can include related rows, which appears to be exactly what I need In Power Query, there is now a Parent Column, and I can see that it contains the exact columns I am after.

However, when I try to load the data into Power BI Desktop, I get a status of "Creating connection in model..." indefinitely. I tried looking up more info and found some messages about it potentially being related to the number of columns, which makes sense as my org has maxed out the number of custom fields allowed in Salesforce. I tried selecting only the columns I need (about 10 total), but I am still getting the same status when loading. 

Is there anything else I can do to try and fix this data load? 

[ReportGuru]

Hello @ddcjoee were you able to find a solution? As a workaround, maybe you can try to test your connection with a 3rd party connector. I've tried windsor.ai, supermetrics and funnel.io. I stayed with windsor because it is much cheaper so just to let you know other options. In case you wonder, to make the connection first search for the Salesforce connector in the data sources list:

After that, just grant access to your Salesforce account using your credentials, then on preview and destination page you will see a preview of your Salesforce fields:

There just select the fields you need. It is also compatible with custom fields and custom objects, so you'll be able to export them through windsor.  Finally, just select PBI as your data destination and finally just copy and paste the url on PBI --> Get Data --> Web --> Paste the url. 

[ddcjoee]

Thanks ichavarria! I think it's probably the mount of data. I should have mentioned that I do have filters on the query, and it was pulling in the data just fine before I checed to include relationships. However, now that I am looking at it more, it is not just pulling in parent case, but a lot of other relationships, too. I'll consider your tips and keep trying. I appreciate the insight! 

[ichavarria]

Great to hear that my solution helped! 

Let me know if you have any follow up questions.

Best regards, 

Isaac Chavarria

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[ichavarria · Accepted solution]

Hi @ddcjoee,

It's possible that the issue you're experiencing is related to the amount of data being loaded, rather than just the number of columns. Here are a few suggestions you can try:

1. Reduce the amount of data being loaded by applying filters in the Salesforce connector. For example, you could filter the records by a specific date range or by a specific status.

2. Use the Salesforce API to retrieve the data instead of using the standard Salesforce connector in Power BI. The API allows you to retrieve data in smaller batches, which can help reduce the amount of data being loaded at any one time.

3. Consider using a third-party connector, such as the CData Salesforce connector, which may provide better performance for large data sets.

4. Split the data into smaller chunks by creating separate reports for each set of related data (i.e. Parent Case and Child Case data) and then combining the reports in Power BI using relationships.

5. Contact Microsoft support to see if they can assist with the issue you're experiencing. They may be able to provide additional troubleshooting steps or identify any underlying issues with your Power BI setup.
   
   

Best regards, 

Isaac Chavarria

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