Error fetching data for this visual

[knissm]

Hi everyone,

I’m running into an odd issue when publishing reports to the Power BI Service.

At random times, the report fails and displays the error shown below.

What’s especially strange is that it impacts some users but not others, then later it starts working again without any issues.

The report uses DirectQuery and connects to an Azure SQL Database.

Has anyone experienced something similar, or have suggestions on what to check?

[Olufemi7]

Hello @knissm, 

This usually happens with DirectQuery to Azure SQL when credentials, firewall rules, or permissions aren’t consistent across users.

To fix:

• Use Azure AD authentication (service principal recommended) instead of SQL auth.

• Make sure all Power BI Service IP ranges are whitelisted in the Azure SQL firewall.

• Confirm dataset credentials in Power BI Service are valid and up to date.

• Ensure all users have the same database permissions.

• Check Azure SQL logs for throttling or failed logins.

These steps typically resolve the “works for some users, fails for others” issue.

[MasonMA]

Hi, 

You may want to check this post https://community.fabric.microsoft.com/t5/Service/Error-fetching-data-for-this-visual-A-connection-c...

Hope this helps~

[knissm]

Thank you for the information, however, I don’t think it applies to my case.

This issue started last week, and the most frustrating part is that it’s intermittent: when it happens, the report often starts working again if I try again after a short time.

As mentioned, it seems to be a temporary problem. In some cases, a user reports the report failing, and then just a couple of minutes later the same user opens it again and it works normally.

[v-tejrama · Accepted solution]

Hi @knissm ,

Thank you for the clarification. From your description, this does not appear to be an issue with the report or model, nor does it seem related to credentials or configuration, as those would cause consistent failures for all users. With DirectQuery to Azure SQL, each visual refresh relies on a live connection from the Power BI Service to the database. If the report works for some users but temporarily fails for others and then works again without changes, it typically points to a temporary condition on the service or data source side, rather than a problem with the report itself.

Such intermittent issues often occur due to brief resource pressure or connectivity fluctuations on the Azure SQL side or within the Power BI Service capacity. Under heavy load, DirectQuery requests may fail if the database is throttling connections, experiencing high CPU or memory usage, or if Power BI capacity is saturated. Once the load decreases, the report works again, which matches your observations.

I suggest checking Azure SQL performance metrics around the times when failures occur, focusing on CPU, DTU or vCore usage, and connection limits, to identify any spikes or throttling. Also, consider how many users are accessing the report at the same time and whether the visuals are generating heavy DirectQuery workloads. If the workspace is on shared capacity, moving to dedicated capacity or increasing Azure SQL resources may help improve stability.

Thank you.

[v-tejrama]

Hi @knissm ,

I wanted to follow up and see if you had a chance to review the information shared. If you have any further questions or need additional assistance, feel free to reach out.

Thank you.

[v-tejrama]

Hi @knissm ,

I wanted to check if you had the opportunity to review the information provided. Please feel free to contact us if you have any further questions.

Thank you.