Lesson 44 Power BI Composite Models: The Best of Both Worlds!

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Ever wondered whether you should use Import Mode or DirectQuery? What if I told you Power BI Composite Models let you use both together? 

In this blog, you’ll learn:

• ✅ What Composite Models are.
• ✅ The difference between Import, DirectQuery & Composite Mode.
• ✅ How to create a Composite Model in Power BI.
• ✅ When to use Hybrid Tables for performance.

1️⃣ What Are Power BI Composite Models?

🔹 Composite Models allow Power BI to combine multiple storage modes (Import + DirectQuery).

🔹 This means you can store some data in memory (fast) and keep some data connected live (dynamic).

🚀 Example:

• ✔️ Store Product & Region Data in Import Mode (Fast Performance).
• ✔️ Connect Sales Data to a live SQL database (DirectQuery) (Always Up-to-Date).
• ✔️ Combine both in a single Power BI report! 

💡 Why Is This Powerful?

• ✅ You get fast performance for static data.
• ✅ You get real-time updates for live data.
• ✅ You don’t need to refresh all data daily.

2️⃣ Import vs DirectQuery vs Composite Mode

• Import Mode: Best for performance, but needs scheduled refresh.
• DirectQuery Mode: Live connection but can be slow.
• Composite Mode: Mix of both, giving speed + live updates.

3️⃣ How to Create a Composite Model in Power BI

Follow these steps to create a Composite Model using both Import & DirectQuery.

Step 1: Load Data in Import Mode

• Open Power BI Desktop.
• Click Get Data → Excel / CSV (or any other static source).
• Load Product & Region Data in Import Mode.

Step 2: Connect to a Live Database (DirectQuery Mode)

• Click Get Data → SQL Server.
• Select DirectQuery instead of Import.
• Load Sales Data (or any frequently updated data).

💡 Now, you have two datasets:

• Product & Region Data (Import Mode) – Fast, Preloaded.
• Sales Data (DirectQuery Mode) – Live, Always Updated.

Step 3: Enable Composite Mode

• Go to Model View.
• Create relationships between the Import & DirectQuery tables.
• Power BI will automatically switch to Composite Model! 
• ✔️ Imported tables are stored in memory for speed.
• ✔️ DirectQuery tables fetch only the latest data when needed.

4️⃣ What Are Hybrid Tables in Power BI?

Hybrid Tables combine Import + DirectQuery in a single table! 

🚀 Example:

• Store past 2 years' data in Import Mode (Fast).
• Keep latest 1 month in DirectQuery Mode (Live Updates).

💡 How to Use Hybrid Tables?

• Open Power BI Model View.
• Select a large fact table (e.g., Sales Data).
• Set it to Hybrid Mode:
• Past data → Import Mode.
• Latest data → DirectQuery Mode.

🔹 This ensures old data loads fast while new data is always updated.

5️⃣ Best Practices for Composite Models

1. ✔️ Use Import Mode for Static Data – Keep reference tables in Import Mode for faster performance.
2. ✔️ Use DirectQuery for Real-Time Data – Only use DirectQuery when live updates are required.
3. ✔️ Optimize Relationships – Create one-to-many relationships between Import & DirectQuery tables.
4. ✔️ Reduce Query Load – Use aggregations to limit the number of DirectQuery calls.
5. ✔️ Use Hybrid Tables for Large Data – Load historical data in Import Mode & recent data in DirectQuery Mode.

6️⃣ Conclusion: Power BI Composite Models = The Best of Both Worlds!

By using Composite Models, you can:

• ✅ Get fast performance for static data.
• ✅ Get real-time updates when needed.
• ✅ Reduce Power BI refresh times.
• ✅ Handle large datasets efficiently.

Now, your Power BI reports can be both fast AND real-time!

7️⃣ What’s Next?

📌 In the next blog, you’ll learn:

• ✅ How to use Power BI Incremental Refresh.
• ✅ Best practices for handling large datasets.
• ✅ How to reduce data refresh times in Power BI Service.

🔔 Stay tuned to Virvijay.com for more Power BI tutorials!

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