Tracking down circular dependency in a datamart

[Devrij]

Hi all, We just tried to deploy a datamart through our pipeline but got an error saying it couldn't deploy because of a circular dependency. 

This datamart has been around for a long time but it's not changed since it was last deployed to production, and it has a LOT of dataflows going into it, DAX measures and columns etc so the idea of picking it all apart looking for a circular dependency fills me with dread. Is there an easier way to track it down? Clearly PowerBI knows where the problem is, but it has no way to tell me!

[Anonymous]

Hi @Devrij ,

If I understand correctly, the issue is that you want to look for the circular dependency. Please try the following methods and check if they can solve your problem:

1.Open the Power Query Editor. Go to the view tab and click on dependency view to view the dependency.

2.Check the measures and calculated columns that might create a dependency.

3.Review the dataflows to ensure that there are no cross-dependencies between them.

4.Look at the relationships between tables to make sure there isn’t relationship that circles back to the original table.

Best Regards,

Wisdom Wu

[collinq]

Hey @Devrij ,

The issue with a "circular dependency" could be on two tables or even in a DAX measure/column.  I am unaware of any quick-and-easy way to find this.  However, the steps I would do is:

1. Determine what changed where...I know you stated that this has been around a long time.  But, if it just broke now, what changed?  Was it something in a table?  A new merge or append perhaps?  Or, was it a new measure or column added?

2. If you can't just see what changed where my method has been to open the datamart and then go through the data (dataflows or wherever) and look for the error symbol. 

If you find out there is some sort of magical error finder please let us know!

[Devrij]

Thanks for the response. Alas, this issue may have been around a long time and we just haven't noticed it until now when we tried to deploy the workspace backwards. 

We have 38 tables in this datamart, many with measures and dax columns at some point in the dataflows that lead to it, so while I appreciate there is no magic wand, any advice on whether there was a tool to narrow it down was what I was after. 

What @Anonymous suggested with the dependency view would have been ideal if it existed in the datamart powerquery menu (if it does, I'm struggling to find it)