1. What is Power BI and why is it important for business intelligence?
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Power BI is Microsoft’s analytics and visualization platform that transforms raw data into interactive reports and dashboards. It plays a key role in business intelligence by enabling users to gather data from multiple sources, analyze it efficiently, and share insights for better decision-making. Its intuitive interface and seamless integration with Microsoft tools help organizations track performance, identify trends, and uncover opportunities.
2. How can Power BI connect to various data sources?
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Power BI can connect to a wide variety of sources, including Excel files, SQL databases, cloud platforms, and online APIs. Using the Get Data feature in Power BI Desktop, users select the source, enter credentials, and establish the connection. Data can then be imported into Power BI or accessed through live connections depending on the requirements.
3. What is the difference between Power Query and DAX in Power BI?
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Power Query and DAX serve different purposes in Power BI. Power Query is used to extract, clean and transform data before it enters the data model it’s essentially the “data preparation” stage. On the other hand, DAX is a formula language used within the data model to perform calculations and create dynamic aggregations after the data is loaded. So, Power Query shapes your data upfront, while DAX helps analyze and calculate insights within the reports.
4. What are Power BI's computed columns and measures and when are they appropriate to use?
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Calculated columns add new data fields to your tables by applying row-by-row calculations, which are stored in the model and useful for creating additional data points. Measures, however, are calculations performed on-demand during report interaction, often used for summaries like totals or averages. You use calculated columns when you need static data per row and measures when you want dynamic aggregations that respond to user filters and selections.
5. How do you set up row-level security (RLS) in Power BI to control data access?
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Depending on their jobs, row-level security (RLS) limits the data that users can view. To implement RLS define security roles and set filter conditions on tables inside Power BI Desktop. After publishing your report to Power BI Service, assign users or groups to these roles. This setup guarantees that each user only views data they are authorized to see, providing secure and personalized reporting.
6. What are the different ways data can be refreshed in Power BI?
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Data refresh in Power BI can be done manually or automatically. Scheduled refreshes allow datasets to update at set intervals, ensuring reports always reflect the latest data. For on-premises data sources, a gateway must be configured to enable refresh. Additionally, there are full refreshes that reload all data and incremental refreshes that only update new or changed data, which helps improve efficiency for large datasets.
7. What techniques are available to enhance Power BI reports' responsiveness and speed?
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To speed up Power BI reports, you can reduce the size of your data model by removing unnecessary columns and tables. Simplifying complex DAX formulas and using aggregations instead of detailed calculations helps. Limiting the number of visuals on a page and enabling query folding in Power Query, which pushes transformations back to the data source, also improve performance and reduce loading times.
8. What are bookmarks in Power BI and how do they enhance reports?
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Bookmarks capture the current state of a report page, including visuals, slicers, and filters. They are used to create interactive storytelling, scenario analysis, or guided navigation within reports. Combined with buttons, bookmarks allow customized navigation paths, making reports more engaging and user-friendly.
9. What is the difference between DirectQuery and Import modes in Power BI?
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Import mode brings data into Power BI’s internal storage, allowing for fast querying and offline work, but requires scheduled refreshes to stay up-to-date. DirectQuery mode, however, leaves data in the source system and queries it live every time a report is used, providing real-time data but sometimes with slower response times. Choosing between them depends on your data size, freshness needs and performance considerations.
10. How do you manage relationships between tables in Power BI?
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In Power BI, relationships connect tables so you can build a unified data model. You define these relationships by matching columns (keys) in different tables, often using primary and foreign keys. Properly managing relationships ensures data flows correctly in visuals and calculations, supporting accurate analysis. You can set cardinality, cross-filter direction and manage inactive relationships to control how data interacts across your model.