Dataflow Gen 1 Refresh Failures starting Last Week

HI ChristopherKing 

The issues you're encountering with your dataflows—particularly Error #1 (compute engine memory timeout) and Error #2 (lock contention)—are known to occur in Power BI Premium when the capacity is under pressure or not optimized for concurrent workloads. While Premium capacity is designed to handle large datasets and manage memory dynamically, it does have resource limits, especially when multiple complex dataflows or chained dependencies are scheduled closely together. Error #1 suggests that the capacity is running out of memory while executing your dataflow, which can happen if the workload is too high during refresh windows or if recent model/dataflow changes increased memory demands. Error #2 points to a conflict in accessing shared resources, likely caused by overlapping dataflow refresh schedules, particularly in chained dataflows where one depends on another completing first. Although removing and re-adding the workspace to premium resets the capacity state temporarily, this is not sustainable.

To resolve this, first review the refresh schedules in the workspace and stagger them to ensure that dependent dataflows do not run concurrently. Use the Power BI Capacity Metrics app to monitor memory usage, query durations, and refresh overlaps to identify peak load times. Additionally, optimize your dataflows by reducing transformations where possible, using computed tables efficiently, and splitting large dataflows into smaller, modular ones that can refresh independently. If capacity pressure remains high, consider assigning a dedicated capacity or increasing your memory allocation per workload in the Power BI Admin Portal under Capacity Settings → Workloads → Dataflow workload. Lastly, ensure the Power BI service is up-to-date by checking the Power BI Support site for any ongoing service incidents, as backend changes or bugs can occasionally impact stability.