"Evaluating" for extended period of time

[ghaines]

Background:

I have continuing issues with loading data into Power BI Desktop.  Sometimes with refreshes, more often with applying changes/adding new queries.  I'm using Netsuite data from the default ODBC connector with data source installation using the ODBC installation bundle supplied by Netsuite.  I'm familiar with all related settings, and connection is well tested and I can obtain data.

Issue:

Some queries halt on the "Evaluating..." step.  I have never understood what the purpose of this was, although I thought it was likely due to query folding, but showing the native query within power query takes only a fraction of this time.  In the case I currently have, I have a (quite complex) Oracle SQL query with no further power query steps.  I just want power query to send the query to Netsuite as is, and yet it is "Evaluating" for over an hour.  The join of the first two tables in the query produce only a single row result and then it's inner joins from then on, mostly on primary keys.  The output cannot be more than a single line, and yet nothing happens.  Power BI Desktop is up to date.  Internet connection good.  There's <50MB of memory being used by the Evaluation Containers despite the maximum being increased to 600MB and CPU use on these processes is negligible.  I tried the query in a new file and there's more action from the default "Add data to your report" images via WebView2 than there is for the data load.  It is incredibly frustrating that Power BI has tried nothing and is all out of ideas.  What is happening?  What does "Evaluating" actually mean?

I have tried suggestions I have come across in the forums with no luck.  None of them really indicate what the issue is either.  It feels completely like a black box and we are going down.

Greg

[v-zhangti]

Hi, @ghaines 

Here are some options to improve some performance that you can optimize based on what I have mentioned below.

1. Untick the following options in your current PBIX file. You can go to File -> Options and settings -> Options->CURRENT FILE(Data Load) to find the options.

2. Follow the guide in this blog to disable Load for these intermediate queries in your PBIX file to save memory.

3. Optimize your data model by following  the tips in the articles below.
  Data Import Best Practices in Power BI
  Power BI Performance Tips and Techniques

4. Use a faster computer with bigger memory would help in your scenario.

For reference:

Solved: Evaluating for a long period and then time out - Microsoft Power BI Community

Solved: How to avoid pbi evaluating take very long - Microsoft Power BI Community

Solved: Load stuck on Evaluating when using an Oracle Nati... - Microsoft Power BI Community

Best Regards,

Community Support Team _Charlotte

If this post helps, then please consider Accept it as the solution to help the other members find it more quickly

[ghaines]

1. Already done

2. Irrelevant, I'm loading a single query with only the source step

3.   Data Import Best Practices in Power BI - Useful information, is about database changes breaking your import.  Completely irrelevant to load times and especially the evaluating step.

Power BI Performance Tips and Techniques - Mostly about report performance.

4.  Why would upgrading to a computer with more memory and more processing power have an effect when Power BI is using only 50MB and virtually no processing power at present?

Solved: Evaluating for a long period and then time out - Microsoft Power BI Community

1. Data Source Permissions - i was using WEB API so i changed it to PUBLIC - irrelevant

2. I have assigned 16GB RAM to cache + 6GB per each evaluation channel ( my machine has 64GB) - irrelevant

3. disable background refresh - already done

Solved: How to avoid pbi evaluating take very long - Microsoft Power BI Community Just links here:

    https://community.powerbi.com/t5/Power-Query/PowerBI-Refresh-is-stuck-on-quot-evaluating-quot/m-p/10...  Another person just posting links

https://www.reddit.com/r/PowerBI/comments/cymrsv/power_bi_stuck_on_evaluating/ Single query, no privacy level issues, also I am ignoring privacy levels in desktop

https://blog.crossjoin.co.uk/2018/12/27/data-privacy-settings-data-refresh-performance-power-bi-exce...

  Single query, no privacy level issues, also I am ignoring privacy levels in desktop

https://www.poweredsolutions.co/2019/03/19/lazy-evaluation-query-folding-in-power-bi-power-query/

  Single query, no extra steps, no query folding required

Solved: Load stuck on Evaluating when using an Oracle Nati... - Microsoft Power BI Community

I shouldn't have to downgrade Power BI and this has been an issue for multiple versions

None of the suggestions make sense unless I'm missing something.  Like in the original post, I didn't ask how to fix it.  I asked what is happening.