Skip to main content

Power BI

Completed

Allow more than one data source for Direct Queries.

Vote (641) Share
Botz's profile image

Botz on 08 Feb 2016 01:24:30

In order to make Direct query more useful it needs to support data from more than one source.

Administrator on 17 Nov 2018 02:49:10

Composite models, which lets you combine multiple direct query sources in one model along with import sources, is now generally available with our November release: https://powerbi.microsoft.com/en-us/blog/power-bi-desktop-november-2018-feature-summary/#compositeModels

Comments (51)
Botz's profile image Profile Picture

f4d733c4 c273-4a01-ab40-ac5a7ec9fc97 on 05 Jul 2020 23:23:14

RE: Allow more than one data source for Direct Queries.

This is a most!

Botz's profile image Profile Picture

50cebbb0 3933-4de2-84b4-12dd074379c8 on 05 Jul 2020 23:20:38

RE: Allow more than one data source for Direct Queries.

This is a required feature. Being able to directly query multiple sources WITHOUT the need to import all the data is an absolute requirement.

Botz's profile image Profile Picture

3eaceb84 7337-e811-a955-000d3a1bef07 on 05 Jul 2020 23:20:15

RE: Allow more than one data source for Direct Queries.

This can already be done is just your connection becomes an import rather than a direct query. if you are consuming your reports in Power BI Desktop the refresh will update your data sources. If you consume this on Report server you can then schedule a refresh at whatever interval you desire and your data source will be refreshed when report is consumed.

I think the confusion in this idea is it is not specific enough. I believe the need is to be able to connection to different types of data sources within a PBIX for example an SSAS and SQL connection at once.

Botz's profile image Profile Picture

2855faef 67ce-43bd-ba41-8f1e379c1093 on 05 Jul 2020 23:20:15

RE: Allow more than one data source for Direct Queries.

Agree, allowing multiple data sources is key feature, really essential. You need that virtually for every analysis. Seriously. This is such a basic thing.

Botz's profile image Profile Picture

a3309361 99be-ea11-a812-000d3a8ddfb2 on 05 Jul 2020 23:19:30

RE: Allow more than one data source for Direct Queries.

Seriously, Microsoft. Your slow action on conceptually simple ideas such as this is a huge factor in why companies are looking at competitor's BI products.

Botz's profile image Profile Picture

507b5d9e e5be-4b70-95a8-e4cf4b3a156c on 05 Jul 2020 23:17:52

RE: Allow more than one data source for Direct Queries.

You can do this in Microsoft Access for years but not Power BI?

Botz's profile image Profile Picture

11486505 9ad6-4fef-a8a5-be2a286eaacf on 05 Jul 2020 23:17:21

RE: Allow more than one data source for Direct Queries.

We are developing a production reporting solution in our company and use different data sources (databases) where some of them already have an established access control.
It would solve some issues for us if we could combine the databases and use the access control by using direct query in our solution.

Botz's profile image Profile Picture

52d888bb 0edb-4882-a3eb-68c99fa651b5 on 05 Jul 2020 23:17:05

RE: Allow more than one data source for Direct Queries.

Come on MS, it can't be that hard!

Botz's profile image Profile Picture

58c165f3 376b-4b79-b0c6-226cd1ef5f3f on 05 Jul 2020 23:15:19

RE: Allow more than one data source for Direct Queries.

This feature might be useful to have

Botz's profile image Profile Picture

0808f4cb e7d6-455c-b75e-f839f36af762 on 05 Jul 2020 23:14:47

RE: Allow more than one data source for Direct Queries.

I’m curious about how this would be implemented. If there were relationships between tables from different data sets this could result in very expensive queries and quite a lot of traffic. Would you be ok with limiting relationships across tables from different data sources?