DirectQuery Semantic Model

[dimitragav10_]

Hello,

I recently migrated a Semantic Model to Microsoft Fabric and configured its properties with Direct Lake behavior set to "DirectQuery Only." However, when I create a new report based on this Semantic Model, Power BI displays "Connected Live to the Semantic Model."

Additionally, I noticed that Power BI provides an option to make changes to the model by switching to a DirectQuery connection. This adds to my confusion—since the Semantic Model is explicitly set to DirectQuery Only, why does the report indicate a Live Connection, and how does this affect modifications to the model?

Could you clarify how these connection modes interact and what the implications are for making changes?

Thank you!

[v-sdhruv]

Hi @dimitragav10_ ,
Just wanted to check if you had the opportunity to review the information provided ? 
If the response/s has addressed your query, please accept it as a solution and give a 'Kudos' so other members can easily find it.
Thank you.

[v-sdhruv]

Hi @dimitragav10_ ,
Just wanted to check if you had the opportunity to review the information provided ? 
If the response/s has addressed your query, please accept it as a solution and give a 'Kudos' so other members can easily find it.
Thank you.

[v-sdhruv]

Hi @dimitragav10_ ,
Just wanted to check if you had the opportunity to review the information provided ? 
If the response/s has addressed your query, please accept it as a solution and give a 'Kudos' so other members can easily find it.
Thank you.

[v-sdhruv · Accepted solution]

Hi @dimitragav10_ ,
Your semantic model configured with Direct Lake will fallback to DirectQuery mode by default whenever a DAX query exceeds the limits on a SKU or uses features not supported by Direct Lake mode, such as SQL views from the Warehouse.
In Direct Query mode, the query retrieves data directly from the SQL analytics endpoint of the lakehouse or warehouse.Such queries always return the latest data because they're not constrained to the point in time of the last framing operation.

Live connection is a method that lets you build a report in Power BI Desktop without having to build a semantic model for it. When you create your report in Power BI Desktop, you can connect it to a semantic model that already exist. Since, you already have a semantic model to connect, it shows live connection.

Live vs Direct Query

You can read more about Direct Query fall back and Fabric capacity guardrails and limitations in following link:
https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/fabric/fundamentals/direct-lake-overview#directquery-fallback
https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/fabric/fundamentals/direct-lake-overview#fabric-capacity-guardrail...
Hope this helps!
If the response has addressed your query, please accept it as a solution and give a 'Kudos' so other members can easily find it

[tharunkumarRTK]

@dimitragav10_ 

Firstly, Your semantic model is connected to your fabric datasource and you enabled the direct lake behavior as "Direct Query Only" which means every DAX query that you run against this semantic model fetches the data from source in DIRECT QUERY mode. Also, all the reports which are connected to this semantic model runs visual dax queries against this semantic model and those queries will also fetch the data in DIRECT QUERY mode only. I hope this is clear to you.

Coming to your question, the new report that you are trying to create in Power BI Desktop says that you are live connectivity mode which means you report is connected to your semantic model in LIVE connectivity mode. But your semantic model is still connected to your fabric datasource in direct query mode only. I hope you understood the difference. 

Incase in your current report if you add any other data source then you are explicity converting your live connected report to direct query connectivity mode. Which means, your report will create another semantic model once your publish this new report to Fabric. This new semantic model will basically points to two sources, one is is your original semantic model and the other one is the new source that you added from your power bi desktop.

New semantic model ---(DQ mode)---> Original Semantic model ---(DQ behavior)---> Fabric data source

I know this is a but confusing, But I hope my answers provides some clarity. Let me know if you have any questions

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[lukiz84]

When you connect to that model you are connected live. DirectQuery in this case only means, that your MODEL queries the data "directly" from the source and doesn't use the "lake".

[Deku]

Connecting live just means you don't have composite model. In this case live is still direct query, you just don't have a local model. If you select make changes to the model you will swap over to composite