Power BI connection mode in which reports fetch data from the source in real time; Direct Lake outperforms it.
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In the Ultra Transcenders books
Each book explains DirectQuery in context, with comparison tables and the common traps.
Terms in this definition
- Power BI
Microsoft's analytics and reporting service. It reaches data held on-premises through the on-premises data gateway.
- Connection
Resource that attaches a virtual network gateway to its peer, which may be an ExpressRoute circuit, a second VNet gateway (Vnet2Vnet) or a local network gateway over IPsec. Resetting it recovers a single tunnel and avoids rebooting the whole gateway.
- Direct Lake
Mode for Fabric semantic models that loads Delta or Parquet files from OneLake straight into VertiPaq, giving almost import-level performance without duplicating data.
Related terms
- Aggregations
Summary queries over a large DirectQuery table can be answered from memory instead of the source thanks to this semantic model feature: it keeps a concealed summary table cached and sends qualifying queries there, while anything needing fine detail still goes back to the source.
- Analyze feature
Right-click a point on a line or bar chart to get machine-learning explanations of why it rose, fell or is distributed differently, with the contributing categories ranked against the previous point. Models using DirectQuery or row-level security can't use it.
- Assume referential integrity
A relationship setting in DirectQuery and Direct Lake models that lets the engine send faster INNER JOIN queries to the source rather than OUTER JOINs. Only switch it on when every key on the many side has a match, otherwise unmatched fact rows quietly vanish from results.
- Automatic aggregations
For DirectQuery semantic models, this feature studies the query log with machine learning and then creates and maintains in-memory summaries by itself; any aggregations you've defined manually continue to work next to them.
- Automatic page refresh
A page-level option that makes visuals re-query a DirectQuery source on a timer or whenever a change detection measure's value moves. It isn't available for Import models, and in the service the capacity sets the shortest interval allowed.
- COMBINEVALUES
Joins several text values into one string, placing a chosen separator between them. Its chief use is creating composite keys so that DirectQuery models can relate tables on more than one column.
- Composite model
A Power BI semantic model whose tables use different storage modes, for example some Import and some DirectQuery, chosen table by table. Tables in Dual mode can work either way, and Power BI picks whichever suits each query best.
- Dataflow Gen1
Power BI's first dataflow type, now legacy and frozen for new features. Dataflow Gen2 adds data destinations and a pipeline activity that Gen1 lacks, though Gen1 does support DirectQuery through the dataflow connector.