SQLServerCentral Article

What Power BI DirectQuery does to your SQL Server (and how to fix it)

Power BI DirectQuery can quietly overwhelm your SQL Server. Unlike Import mode, DirectQuery sends live T-SQL for every visual interaction, multiplying queries and placing heavy analytical load on the database. This article explains how to identify the worst offending DirectQuery queries, why the generated SQL is often inefficient, and what you can do from the database side, including indexing, Query Store, and reporting views, to improve performance. It also outlines practical changes on the Power BI side and when DirectQuery is simply the wrong architectural choice.

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I’m sure I’m not alone when I say, sometimes I get sidetracked. In this particular instance, I hadn’t intended to start learning about User-Defined Types (UDT) in PostgreSQL – I just wanted to test a behavior that involved creating a UDT. But, once I started reading, I was hooked. I mean, four distinct UDTs with different behaviors? That’s pretty cool. Let’s get into it.

Stairway to DAX and Power BI

Level 27: Time Intelligence – Dates Functions: The DAX “Parallel Period” and “Same Period Last Year” Functions

Business Intelligence Architect, “Analysis Services Maestro, and author Bill Pearson introduces two somewhat similar DAX Time Intelligence functions related to “parallel” Date periods: PARALLELPERIOD() and SAMEPERIODLASTYEAR(). He discusses the syntax, uses and operation of each function, and then provides hands-on exposure to it in Power BI.

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Question of the Day

Tracking All the Queries

I have 3 instances of a brand new long running query that are executing on a SQL Server 2025 instance. Query store is enabled. One of the queries is killed by the administrator, one is cancelled by the user. The other runs to completion. How many rows are in Query Store for this query?

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