Designing a Reusable Power BI Semantic Model for Multi-Fact Analysis
We are going to design a Power BI semantic model that serves multiple reports built on top of a Snowflake / SQL warehouse using a typical Gold layer (fact and dimension tables) for a hybrid DeFi & TradFi analytics platform. The original question came from a real analytical query that joins two fact tables (FACT_TRADE_EXECUTION and FACT_WALLET_ACCOUNT) with several conformed dimensions (DIM_PROTOCOL, DIM_INVESTOR_TIER, DIM_ASSET_CLASS, DIM_INSTRUMENT_TYPE) and later mixes ledger-statement logic with window functions (ROW_NUMBER, SUM() OVER (...)). The design decision was: one semantic model per fact table, one model per business subject area, or a single wide custom query that pre-computes everything? This article summarizes the conclusions and aligns them with current Microsoft and community guidance.Developing an Azerbaijan Shape Map
A shape map is a powerful visualization tool that allows users to represent geographical data with customized regions. However, not every country’s shape is readily available in Power BI. By developing a custom Azerbaijan shape map, we can unlock better regional insights and enhance data-driven decision-making. In this guide, I will walk you through the process of creating an Azerbaijan Shape Map, ensuring that you can effectively map and analyze location-based data. 📥 Downloadable Materials: https://onedrive.live.com/?authkey=%21AOTKe2P4w9oBvmo&id=357FB5C8090FE1B2%2168360&cid=357FB5C8090FE1B2 I am working with a small sales dataset from multiple retail stores across various cities in Azerbaijan, including Baku, Ganja, Shaki, Sumgait, and Nakhchivan. Let's add another page to the Power BI file and name it "Map." We need to ensure that the Shape Map icon is visible in the Visualization Pane. If it is not available, we can enable it by navigating to File > Options and Settings > Preview Features and ensuring that the Shape Map Visual option is selected. Click on the Shape Map icon in the Visualization Pane, then add the TotalSales(F) measure. You'll notice that the map defaults to the USA Shape Map. Select the map, then go to the Format Pane and choose Map Settings. Click on Map Type, then select Custom Map to upload our map in TopoJSON format. First, let's create our custom map. To do this, search for an Azerbaijan Shapefile using Google Chrome. Click on the Humanitarian Data Exchange (https://data.humdata.org/dataset/cod-ab-aze) link. From there, download the following files: 📥 AZE_AdminBoundaries_TabularData.xlsx 📥 aze_adm_gadm_osm_20231002_SHP.zip Open the downloaded Excel file. You'll see that it contains three worksheets, listing the names of all Azerbaijani cities, districts, and ecoregions in both Azerbaijani and English. Now, we can upload the Excel file into Power BI, perform the necessary transformations, and apply the changes to our Power BI file. Now, open a new tab in Google Chrome and go to mapshaper.org. Click on Select, then upload the downloaded shapefile ZIP to Mapshaper.org. Click on Export to proceed with saving the transformed shapefile. Leave the three selected options as they are, then choose TopoJSON as the export format. Now, return to your Power BI file to continue with the next steps. Upload the exported TopoJSON file to the Custom Map in Power BI by selecting Browse under Map Settings. Now, add ADM1_EN from the recently uploaded Excel file to the Location field in Power BI. Now, we can add a Slicer to display the cities of Azerbaijan in English. Additionally, let's add a Card visual to show the TotalSales(F) value. The final step is to create a relationship between the Cities column in the dStores table and the corresponding column in the newly added Excel file in Power BI. Conclusion: Building a custom Azerbaijan Shape Map in Power BI allows for more precise geographical visualizations, enabling better insights into regional sales and trends. By leveraging tools like Mapshaper.org, custom TopoJSON files, and Power BI's Shape Map visual, we can create interactive and dynamic maps tailored to specific datasets. Integrating Excel data, establishing relationships between tables, and using slicers for city-level analysis further enhances the usability of the report. Mastering the creation and customization of Shape Maps is a valuable skill for any data professionallooking to improve spatial analysis and drive actionable insights. Let us know if this guide was helpful—we’d love to hear your feedback!Dataflows Gen1 and Gen2: Where is my data stored?
tl;dr Gen1 stores your data as CSVs in a CDM folder in your ADLS Gen2 account. To get to it, you need to link it to your data lake storage, otherwise you won't be able access it. If Enhanced Compute Engine is on, refresh also loads a SQL cache you can use. Gen2 with no destination saves output in the semi hidden DataflowsStagingLakehouse and exposes it via DataflowsStagingWarehouse. The data is stored as Delta tables backed by Parquet files. For more details, read the whole blog.Building a Student Dropout Prediction System Using Microsoft Fabric’s Medallion Architecture
This post demonstrates how to build a synthetic, large-scale EdTech dropout prediction pipeline using Microsoft Fabric’s Data Engineering and Machine Learning workloads. It implements the Medallion Architecture (Bronze → Silver → Gold) to produce ML-ready features that predict student dropout risk.Build a Dynamic Loan Calculator in Power BI with What-If Parameters
A Loan Calculator in Power BI allows users to explore different loan scenarios by adjusting key inputs such as loan amount, interest rate, and loan term. By using What-If Parameters, users can instantly see how changes affect monthly payments and total repayment amounts, enabling dynamic decision-making and clear financial insights—all in an interactive report environment. You can find the data source file, along with Power BI files containing both solutions and those without, at the following link: Study MaterialsExploring Simple Scenario Analysis in Power BI: Integrating What-If Parameters for Dynamic Insights
Welcome to Our November 2025 Newsletter! We’re excited to bring you fresh insights this month as we begin a brand-new series on Scenario Analysis in Power BI. Starting with this edition, I’ll be sharing a collection of articles that explore different approaches to scenario analysis and their practical applications in real business cases. In this first article, we’ll focus on Simple Scenario Analysis — integrating What-If Parameters to dynamically adjust key variables and visualize how changes impact outcomes directly within Power BI. Resources and files for this article are available for download here: https://1drv.ms/f/c/357fb5c8090fe1b2/EraKe-FIlR1EpTL1HYTpAREBYFALs9GKTMh7MnWebL6mWg?e=05Qg4J In this analysis, let’s create a group (using Home → Enter Data) to organize all the measures we’ll be using.Unlock Data Potential: How OneLake is Fabric's Game-Changing Unified Data Foundation
As a Fabric User, I've witnessed the evolution of data platforms. We've all managed the chaos: a data lake here, a data warehouse there, and a labyrinth of ETL pipelines connecting them. It's complex, costly, and slows us down. Microsoft Fabric introduces a feature that fundamentally changes this paradigm: OneLake.Unlocking the Power of DAX Query View: A Post-Vienna Reflection
In September 2025, I had the opportunity to attend the European Microsoft Fabric Community Conference held in Vienna, Austria. It was an inspiring event that brought together professionals, MVPs, and enthusiasts from across Europe to explore the latest advancements in Microsoft Fabric, Power BI, and data analytics. My special thanks go to Ella Murphy , the Marketing Manager of the event, for her outstanding organization and warm hospitality. I’m also delighted to share that the next European Fabric Conference will take place in Barcelona in 2026 — you can find more details here: https://www.sharepointeurope.com/european-microsoft-fabric-community-conference/ During the Vienna conference, I had the pleasure of reconnecting with Zoe Douglas, whom I first met at the inaugural European Fabric Conference in Stockholm (2024) and later at the Microsoft MVP Summit 2025. I invited Zoe to deliver an insightful session for my Meetup community, and it turned out to be a great success. You can watch the full recording of her session here: Watch the session recording: https://www.youtube.com/@IlgarZarbaliyev As we continue learning and sharing within the Microsoft Fabric and Power BI communities, I’d love to invite you to join my Meetup group and subscribe to my YouTube channel for future sessions, events, and tutorials: Meetup: Azerbaijan Power BI & Microsoft Fabric Community: https://www.meetup.com/azerbaijanpowerbi-microsoftfabriccommunity/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@IlgarZarbaliyev Finally, you can access the resource file used in this article and accompanying session from the following link: Download resources: September, 2025 Resource Files
