Power BI Semantic Model refresh failed with error

[Yamuna_S]

Power BI Semantic Model refresh failed with error reason 'Processing error: Changing the partition type from or to PartitionType.Calculated is not allowed; partition '<oii>tablename</oii>'.

Semantic Model is in Importmode and we are doing full refresh why such error comes. 

Weird thing is after a day of multiple failures this got fixed by itself. I want to understand the reason for this failure. Anyone faced this error recently?

[Anonymous · Accepted solution]

Hi @Yamuna_S 

The error message you’re encountering with Power BI Semantic Model refresh suggests that there’s an issue with the data partitioning during the refresh process.

Here are a few potential reasons for this error:

If there were changes to the data model, such as altering the partitioning strategy or modifying the data source, it might result in this error. For instance, if a partition was previously set as a calculated partition and then a full refresh was attempted, it might cause the error if the system doesn’t support the transition.

Issues with the data source, such as connectivity problems or changes in the data structure (e.g., new columns, different data types), could cause the refresh to fail.

If there are concurrent operations on the dataset, such as another refresh running at the same time or someone editing the dataset, it might lead to conflicts and errors.

In some cases, the internal cache used by Power BI for storing data partitions can become corrupted, leading to refresh errors.

Here are some steps to diagnose and resolve it:

1. Check Data Model: Review any recent changes to the data model that might affect partitioning.
2. Data Source Verification: Verify the data source is stable and hasn’t changed in a way that would affect the refresh.
3. Service Health: Check the Power BI service health dashboard for any reported issues during the time of the refresh failure.
4. Refresh History: Review the refresh history in Power BI to see if there are any patterns or additional error messages that can provide more insight.
5. Gateway Logs: If using a gateway, check the logs for any errors or warnings that might indicate a problem.

Given that the issue resolved itself after some time, it might have been a temporary glitch in the Power BI service or a transient issue with the data source. However, it’s important to monitor the situation to ensure that the problem does not recur and to have a plan in place to address it if it does.

Best Regards

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

[Yamuna_S]

Hi @Anonymous  Thank you for the response. I will investigate with the given points and figure out the root cause. Thanks!!

[Anonymous]

Hi @Yamuna_S 

Have you solved your problem? If so, can you share your solution here and mark the correct answer as a standard answer to help other members find it faster? Thank you very much for your kind cooperation!

Best Regards

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

[Yamuna_S]

@GilbertQ Thank you for the response. This error happened around Thursday evening and got resolved itself by Saturday. I am trying to find a root cause to avoid such issues during weekdays. Since it is a working day, Do you still think this a deployment issue? 

[GilbertQ]

Hi @Yamuna_S 

What sometimes happens in the service is there are errors that can happen because they are making deployments every week. The. potentially there was a deployment issue which was then resolved, which explains why the model was failing for a few days and then automatically started working again.