Use composite models in Power BI Desktop
Posted: Thu Feb 20, 2025 8:37 am
Previously in Power BI Desktop, when you used a DirectQuery in a report, no other data connections, either DirectQuery or import, were allowed for that report. With composite models, this restriction is removed. A report can seamlessly include data connections from more than one DirectQuery or data import connection, in any combination you choose.
The composite models feature in Power BI Desktop consists of three related features:
Composite models : Allow a report to have two or more data connections from different source groups, such as one or more DirectQuery connections and an import connection, two or more DirectQuery connections, or any combination of these. This article describes composite models in detail.
Many-to-many relationships : With composite models, you can establish many-to-many relationships between tables. This approach removes the requirement for unique values in tables. It also removes previous workarounds, such as introducing new tables just to establish relationships. For more information, see Apply many-to-many relationships in Power BI Desktop .
Storage mode : You can now specify bolivia mobile database visuals query backend data sources. Visuals that don't require a query will be imported, even if they're based on DirectQuery. This feature helps improve performance and reduce backend load. Previously, even simple visuals like slicers would initiate queries to backend sources. For more information, see Manage storage mode in Power BI Desktop .
Use composite models
With composite models, you can connect to different data sources when using Power BI Desktop or the Power BI service. You can make these data connections in a few ways:
Import data into Power BI, which is the most common way to get data.
Connect directly to data in the original source repository using DirectQuery. To learn more about DirectQuery, see Use DirectQuery in Power BI .
When you use DirectQuery, composite models make it possible to create a Power BI model, as a single Power BI Desktop .pbix file, that does one or both of these things:
Combines data from one or more DirectQuery sources.
Combines data from DirectQuery sources and data imports.
For example, using composite models, you can create a model that combines the following data types:
Sales data from a corporate data warehouse.
Sales target data from a departmental SQL Server database.
Data imported from a spreadsheet.
A model that combines data from more than one DirectQuery source or that combines DirectQuery with data import is called a composite model.
The composite models feature in Power BI Desktop consists of three related features:
Composite models : Allow a report to have two or more data connections from different source groups, such as one or more DirectQuery connections and an import connection, two or more DirectQuery connections, or any combination of these. This article describes composite models in detail.
Many-to-many relationships : With composite models, you can establish many-to-many relationships between tables. This approach removes the requirement for unique values in tables. It also removes previous workarounds, such as introducing new tables just to establish relationships. For more information, see Apply many-to-many relationships in Power BI Desktop .
Storage mode : You can now specify bolivia mobile database visuals query backend data sources. Visuals that don't require a query will be imported, even if they're based on DirectQuery. This feature helps improve performance and reduce backend load. Previously, even simple visuals like slicers would initiate queries to backend sources. For more information, see Manage storage mode in Power BI Desktop .
Use composite models
With composite models, you can connect to different data sources when using Power BI Desktop or the Power BI service. You can make these data connections in a few ways:
Import data into Power BI, which is the most common way to get data.
Connect directly to data in the original source repository using DirectQuery. To learn more about DirectQuery, see Use DirectQuery in Power BI .
When you use DirectQuery, composite models make it possible to create a Power BI model, as a single Power BI Desktop .pbix file, that does one or both of these things:
Combines data from one or more DirectQuery sources.
Combines data from DirectQuery sources and data imports.
For example, using composite models, you can create a model that combines the following data types:
Sales data from a corporate data warehouse.
Sales target data from a departmental SQL Server database.
Data imported from a spreadsheet.
A model that combines data from more than one DirectQuery source or that combines DirectQuery with data import is called a composite model.