Power BI Data Sources

Power BI can connect to an extensive range of data sources, making it flexible enough to pull together data scattered across an entire organization.

Common Data Source Categories

  • Files - Excel, CSV, XML, JSON, and text files.
  • Databases - SQL Server, MySQL, PostgreSQL, Oracle, and more.
  • Cloud Services - Azure SQL Database, Google Analytics, Salesforce, and SharePoint Online.
  • Online Services - Dynamics 365, GitHub, and other Microsoft and third-party services.
  • Web - data extracted directly from web pages or REST APIs.

Connecting to a Data Source

Home tab -> Get Data -> choose the source type -> enter connection details -> Load or Transform Data

Import vs DirectQuery

  • Import Mode - loads a copy of the data into Power BI's in-memory engine for fast performance.
  • DirectQuery - queries the data source live each time a report is viewed, keeping data current but depending on source performance.
Choosing between Import and DirectQuery is one of the most important early decisions in a Power BI project - it affects performance, data freshness, and which transformation features are available.

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