Connecting to Different Data Sources in Power BI

Welcome to this lesson on Connecting to Different Data Sources in Power BI. We begin with an overview of the data connection process before delving into the specifics of the two main Power BI storage modes (Import and DirectQuery) and options that address their shortcomings. We then move on to privacy considerations specific to Power BI and connection parameterization before looking at sharing semantic models and using XMLA endpoints.

Learning Objectives

By the end of this lesson, you will have a greater understanding of:

• Data storage modes

• Connecting to and changing data sources

• Data source privacy

• Sharing a semantic model

• XMLA endpoints

Intended Audience

This lesson is for students wanting to understand how Power BI stores data and handles different types of data connections.

Prerequisites

To get the most out of this lesson, you should be familiar with Power BI Desktop and the PowerBI Service.

It's recommended to take the lesson Loading Data into Power before starting this one.