2. Data modelling for Power BI using brand new Analysis Services Features
Phil Seamark

3. Phil Seamark - MVP Radacad Wellington Power BI User Group
Microsoft MVP
Author
Active in Power BI Community
@PhilSeamark

4. Session Agenda Incremental Refresh In memory Aggregations
The problem
The solution
The benefits
In memory Aggregations
Questions and Giveaways

5. Incremental Updates

6. Incremental Refresh The Problem
Large data sets refresh IN FULL each time
Refresh duplication
Compounded when refreshing multiple times per day

7. Incremental Refresh The Solution Unlock and use SSAS Partitions
Auto scripted in the Webservice
Elegant solution using Merge partitions (Merge , Drop & Recovery)
The table to be incrementally refreshed needs to have a Date column
Some manual configuration required (see demo)

8. Demo : Incremental Update

9. Incremental Refresh The Benefits (and notes) Available now!!
Speed of refreshing from data source. The larger the table, the bigger the benefit
Less load on data source
Premium is required for now – but IS coming to shared
XMLA endpoints later this year

10. In-memory Aggregations

11. In-memory Aggregations
The Problem
I have a very large data set and want to user Power BI to analyse and report
Queries against very large tables are inefficient
Slow reports even with smaller data sets

12. In-memory Aggregations
The Solution
Aggregation tables (Summary tables)
Composite models
Mapping Columns
Table Precedence
Profiler – new events
Storage modes (Import, Direct Query and DUAL) ……

13. Import vs. DirectQuery Big Models Query Performance Data Freshness
4/24/2019 5:23 AM
Import vs. DirectQuery
Big Models
Query Performance
Data Freshness
DirectQuery
Import
© 2014 Microsoft Corporation. All rights reserved. MICROSOFT MAKES NO WARRANTIES, EXPRESS, IMPLIED OR STATUTORY, AS TO THE INFORMATION IN THIS PRESENTATION.

14. Import vs. DirectQuery Big Models Query Performance Data Freshness
4/24/2019 5:23 AM
Import vs. DirectQuery
Big Models
Query Performance
Data Freshness
DirectQuery
Import
AT TABLE LEVEL!!!
© 2014 Microsoft Corporation. All rights reserved. MICROSOFT MAKES NO WARRANTIES, EXPRESS, IMPLIED OR STATUTORY, AS TO THE INFORMATION IN THIS PRESENTATION.

15. Import DirectQuery Geography Geography Customer Customer Sales Sales
4/24/2019 5:23 AM
DirectQuery
Import
Geography
Geography
Customer
Customer
Sales
Sales
Date
Date
Product
Product
Reseller Sales
Reseller Sales
Employee
Employee
© Microsoft Corporation. All rights reserved. MICROSOFT MAKES NO WARRANTIES, EXPRESS, IMPLIED OR STATUTORY, AS TO THE INFORMATION IN THIS PRESENTATION.

16. & Import DirectQuery IMPORT Geography Geography Direct Query Customer
4/24/2019 5:23 AM
DirectQuery
&
Import
IMPORT
Geography
Geography
Direct Query
Customer
Customer
Sales
Sales
Date
Date
Product
Product
Reseller Sales
Reseller Sales
Employee
Employee
© Microsoft Corporation. All rights reserved. MICROSOFT MAKES NO WARRANTIES, EXPRESS, IMPLIED OR STATUTORY, AS TO THE INFORMATION IN THIS PRESENTATION.

17. & Import DirectQuery IMPORT Geography Geography Direct Query Customer
4/24/2019 5:23 AM
DirectQuery
&
Import
IMPORT
Geography
Geography
Direct Query
Customer
Customer
Sales
Sales Agg
Date
Date
Product
Product
Reseller Sales
Reseller Sales
Employee
Employee
© Microsoft Corporation. All rights reserved. MICROSOFT MAKES NO WARRANTIES, EXPRESS, IMPLIED OR STATUTORY, AS TO THE INFORMATION IN THIS PRESENTATION.

18. Aggregations IMPORT Geography Geography Direct Query Sales Agg
4/24/2019 5:23 AM
Aggregations
IMPORT
Geography
Geography
Direct Query
Sales Agg
Customer
Customer
Sales
Date
Date
Product
Product
Reseller Sales
Reseller Sales
Employee
Employee
© Microsoft Corporation. All rights reserved. MICROSOFT MAKES NO WARRANTIES, EXPRESS, IMPLIED OR STATUTORY, AS TO THE INFORMATION IN THIS PRESENTATION.

19. Aggregations Hits in-memory cache SummarizeColumns( Date[Year],
4/24/2019 5:23 AM
Aggregations
IMPORT
Geography
Geography
Direct Query
Sales Agg
Customer
Customer
SummarizeColumns(
Date[Year],
Geography[City],
"Sales", Sum(Sales[Amount]) )
Sales
Date
Date
Product
Product
Reseller Sales
Reseller Sales
Employee
Employee
Hits in-memory cache
© Microsoft Corporation. All rights reserved. MICROSOFT MAKES NO WARRANTIES, EXPRESS, IMPLIED OR STATUTORY, AS TO THE INFORMATION IN THIS PRESENTATION.

20. Aggregations DirectQuery SummarizeColumns( Date[Year], Customer[Name],
IMPORT
Geography
Geography
Direct Query
Sales Agg
Customer
Customer
SummarizeColumns(
Date[Year],
Customer[Name],
"Sales", Sum(Sales[Amount]) )
Sales
Date
Date
Product
Product
Reseller Sales
Reseller Sales
Employee
Employee
DirectQuery
© Microsoft Corporation. All rights reserved. MICROSOFT MAKES NO WARRANTIES, EXPRESS, IMPLIED OR STATUTORY, AS TO THE INFORMATION IN THIS PRESENTATION.

21. Aggregations “Many side” “One side” Dual Import Import or Dual DQ
4/24/2019 5:23 AM
Aggregations
IMPORT
Geography
Geography
DIRECT QUERY
Sales Agg
Storage Mode = Dual
DUAL
Customer
Customer
Sales
1-to-many relationship rules
Date
Date
Product
Product
“Many side”
“One side”
Dual
Import
Import or Dual DQ
DQ or Dual
Reseller Sales
Reseller Sales
Employee
Employee
(both sides are from a single source)
© Microsoft Corporation. All rights reserved. MICROSOFT MAKES NO WARRANTIES, EXPRESS, IMPLIED OR STATUTORY, AS TO THE INFORMATION IN THIS PRESENTATION.

22. Aggregations “Many side” “One side” Dual Import Import or Dual DQ
4/24/2019 5:23 AM
Aggregations
IMPORT
Invalid
Geography
DIRECT QUERY
Sales Agg
DUAL
Customer
Customer
Sales
1-to-many relationship rules
Date
Date
Product
Product
“Many side”
“One side”
Dual
Import
Import or Dual DQ
DQ or Dual
Reseller Sales
Reseller Sales
Employee
Employee
© Microsoft Corporation. All rights reserved. MICROSOFT MAKES NO WARRANTIES, EXPRESS, IMPLIED OR STATUTORY, AS TO THE INFORMATION IN THIS PRESENTATION.

23. Aggregations “Many side” “One side” Dual Import Import or Dual DQ
4/24/2019 5:23 AM
Aggregations
IMPORT
Invalid
Geography
Geography
DIRECT QUERY
Sales Agg
DUAL
Customer
Customer
Sales
1-to-many relationship rules
Date
Date
Product
Product
“Many side”
“One side”
Dual
Import
Import or Dual DQ
DQ or Dual
Reseller Sales
Reseller Sales
Employee
Employee
© Microsoft Corporation. All rights reserved. MICROSOFT MAKES NO WARRANTIES, EXPRESS, IMPLIED OR STATUTORY, AS TO THE INFORMATION IN THIS PRESENTATION.

24. In-memory Aggregations
DB Table
Storage Mode
Dimension
Rows
Size
Agg_A
Import
Year + Measures 14
100Kb
Agg_B
Date + Measures
5,110
32MB
Agg_C
Date, hour, Payment + Measures
585,774
39MB
Agg_D
Import or Direct Query
Date, hour, Payment, Geography
257,423,110
8.8GB
Trip
Direct Query
ALL
2.3 Billion
½ TB

25. Demo : In-memory Aggregations

26. In-memory Aggregations
The Benefits (and notes)
Speed, speed and more speed
Can use incremental refresh with AGG tables
DQ tables need to be from the same source to take full advantage for DUAL
Not a one click solution – still requires thought and care
Not for every Power BI scenario
If you have a slow report…..

27. Questions and Prize Draw

29. Don’t forget to join your local PUG to enjoy year-round networking and learning.