Power BI Service Refreshes Taking Excessively Long

[amir_mm]

Hello,

We have scheduled auto-refreshing every 30 minutes in PBI service. Typically, the dataset refreshes within 2-5 minutes, but there are instances where it takes anywhere between 30 minutes and 2 hours for the same dataset to refresh. I did some investigations but couldn't find the root cause of it. Any ideas?

[v-yilong-msft]

Hi @amir_mm ,

When using data flows, especially with numerous transformations, the shared capacity model can impact performance. Unlike Power Query in desktop, which benefits from dedicated CPU and memory, dataflows share resources. This sharing can lead to slower refresh times. Consider reviewing your transformations and optimizing them where possible. Simplifying complex transformations or reducing the number of steps might help.You can read this topic for some helps: Solved: Data Flow Slow Refresh - Microsoft Fabric Community

Loading a model into memory during refresh requires memory resources. The size of your dataset impacts this process. Keep in mind that refreshing a model consumes approximately twice the size of the dataset in memory. If memory resources are scarce, it can lead to longer refresh times.

If multiple datasets refresh simultaneously, they compete for CPU and memory resources. Consider staggering the refresh schedules to avoid resource contention.

Finally, you can also review the refresh logs to identify which entities contribute to the longer refresh times.

Best Regards

Yilong Zhou

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[dp410]

We're experiencing the same issue. We have two almost identcal datasets running, one on an embedded capacity and one on standard. The one on our capacity is refreshing normally, however the standard is taking ages. I've got a call with them later today.