Forum Discussion
Helper VVerify the use of 'Import' or 'Direct Query'
perpor in the Desktop you can select Edit Queries -> Data Source Settings -> it will show you import or direct query
If you are in the Service you can click on the elipses next to the dataset -> Settings -> and the gateway should tell you if you are in direct query mode. (If it doesn't, you can just check if you can create a scheduled refresh, you can with import, you can't with direct query).
As of today, 2020-01-08, the Power BI Service gateway section no longer defines whether a Power BI report is an Import-Mode report or a Direct Query report.
However, I have discovered another way to identify what kind of report you are looking at in the Power BI Service. As previously mentioned, you can navigate to a report's dataset list item on the left-hand side quick access navigation pane (that's what they named it in their HTML), click that dataset's ellipsis button, and navigate to the dataset's Settings page.
Here is how you can use the dataset's Settings page to distinguish the two types of Connectivity Modes in the Power BI Service:
- Import Mode will show a section called "Scheduled refresh".
- Direct Query Mode will show a section called "Scheduled cache refresh" (italics added by me).
I am actually using this dinstiction in a google chrome extension I am writing to display Power BI Reports (now BOTH Import and Direct Query reports) as a real-time, updating slideshow.
Cheers.
Best Regards,
Daniel
Advocate II was digging around this exact question and came across this thread. I wanted to update this post to note that I dont see a "Scheduled Refresh" vs a "Scheduled Cache Refresh" anymore as of 2024-08-01 in the power bi service/website.
After a bit of testing though I did notice in the same section as noted above that you could see a difference.
So if you go to your workspace -> Find your semantic model -> 3 dots (ellipsis) ... -> Settings and check the "Refresh" section
For a "Direct Query" under the Refresh section you will only see options for "Automatic dashboard tile and metric refresh" and a refresh frequency.
For a semantic model with Import mode in the same Refresh section you will see a "Configure a refresh schedule" with options for refresh frequency etc.
I see in the desktop though that if you are in Direct Query mode it will note that mode in the lower right hand corner. If your in regular Import there is nothing displayed at the bottom.
Hope this helps someone else out there - Tough to dig through older threads when PBI keeps updating!