CI/CD pipeline for Power BI deployments

 A CI/CD pipeline for Power BI deployments is an automated process that streamlines the development, testing, and deployment of Power BI reports and dashboards across different environments (like development, testing, and production) by using tools like Azure DevOps to manage the workflow, ensuring consistent quality and minimizing manual intervention throughout the deployment process. 

Key components of a Power BI CI/CD pipeline:

• Source Control:

  Storing Power BI PBIX files in a version control system like Git to track changes and manage different versions. 
• Build Stage:
• • Validation Checks: Performing quality checks on Power BI files, such as data connectivity, data quality, and report layout. 
  • Packaging: Creating a deployment package containing the Power BI content ready for deployment. 
• Test Stage:

• Unit Testing: Running automated tests on individual components of the Power BI report (e.g., visuals, calculations) to identify issues early. 
• User Acceptance Testing (UAT): Providing a controlled environment for end-users to test the functionality and usability of the Power BI content. 

Deployment Stage:

• Environment Management: Deploying the Power BI content to different environments (development, staging, production) based on the pipeline stage.
• Permissions Management: Assigning appropriate user access levels to Power BI workspaces and content based on the environment. 

Benefits of using a CI/CD pipeline for Power BI deployments:

• Faster Time to Market:

  Streamlines the deployment process, allowing quicker delivery of Power BI reports and updates to users.

Improved Quality:

• Automated testing catches errors early in the development cycle, leading to higher quality deployments.

Reduced Manual Effort:

• Automates repetitive tasks, freeing up developers to focus on more complex aspects of Power BI development.

Traceability:

• Provides a clear audit trail of changes made to Power BI content and who made them. 

Tools to implement a Power BI CI/CD pipeline:

• Azure DevOps:

  A comprehensive platform with built-in features for CI/CD pipelines, including the ability to manage Power BI deployments.

Power BI REST API:

• Can be used to programmatically interact with Power BI service to automate deployment tasks. 

Power BI Embedded:

• For integrating Power BI content into custom applications, enabling more granular control over deployment. 

Composite models in Power BI Desktop

Composite models in Power BI Desktop

Previously in Power BI Desktop, when we used a DirectQuery in a report, no other data connections - whether DirectQuery or Import - were allowed for that report. With composite models, that restriction is removed. A report can seamlessly include data connections from more than one DirectQuery or Import data connection, in any combination you choose.

Below are the three related features in Composite models:

• Composite models: Allows a report to have multiple data connections, including DirectQuery connections or Import, in any combination. 
• Many-to-many relationships: With composite models, you can establish many-to-many relationships between tables. This approach removes requirements for unique values in tables. It also removes previous workarounds, such as introducing new tables only to establish relationships.
• Storage mode: You can now specify which visuals require a query to back-end data sources. Visuals that don't require a query are imported even if they're based on DirectQuery. This feature helps improve performance and reduce back-end load. Previously, even simple visuals such as slicers initiated queries that were sent to back-end sources.

Set the storage mode

Each table in a composite model has a storage mode that indicates whether the table is based on DirectQuery or Import. The storage mode can be viewed and modified in the Property pane. 

To display the storage mode, right-click a table in the Fields list, and then select Properties. The following image shows the storage mode for the SalesTargets table.

The storage mode can also be viewed on the tooltip for each table.

For any Power BI Desktop file (a .pbix file) that contains some tables from DirectQuery and some Import tables, the status bar displays a storage mode called Mixed. You can click that term in the status bar and easily switch all tables to Import.