Summary

In this chapter, we defined basic data modeling as a process where you choose which data attributes are grouped into entities and how they are related. We learned that for DirectQuery and Direct Lake, transformations in Power Query should be kept simple to avoid generating overly complex query statements. We also learned how to use the native query viewing feature in Power Query to see the exact query used.

The chapter explained that Power BI is flexible enough to allow you to define your own relationships across DirectQuery tables, not necessarily matching those already in the data source. This must be done with care and some planning. It is better to leverage relationships and referential integrity that are already defined in the external data source where possible, as these are likely already optimized. We also explored relationship settings and their implications for DirectQuery.

We explored settings in Power BI Desktop that help control levels of parallelism. The...