1. Power BI Architecture, Best Practices, and Performance Tuning
Microsoft Ignite 2016
6/3/2018 7:51 PM
Power BI Architecture, Best Practices, and Performance Tuning
DA331a
Sirui Sun
© 2016 Microsoft Corporation. All rights reserved. MICROSOFT MAKES NO WARRANTIES, EXPRESS, IMPLIED OR STATUTORY, AS TO THE INFORMATION IN THIS PRESENTATION.

2. Motivation Why think about performance and best practices?
Performant reports are delightful to use
No one will use a report with bad performance
How to ensure good performance?
Understand the tools
Use them properly

3. Agenda 50,000 ft. view – where is the time spent
Choosing how Power BI connects to your data
Import
DirectQuery
Live connection
Gateway best practices
Network latency
All-up best practices
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4. The view from 50,000 feet Cloud data sources On-prem data sources
Azure Analysis Services, SQL Azure, etc.
On-prem data sources
Analysis Services, SQL Server, etc.
Scheduled refresh/
Live connection/
DirectQuery
Consume
Consumption
by end users
PBI Desktop
Group
OneDrive
PBI Service
Datasets
Reports
Dashboards
Scheduled refresh/
Live connection/
DirectQuery
On-Premises Gateway

5. Where is the time spent? Data sources (and how they’re connected)
Cloud data sources
Azure Analysis Services, SQL Azure, etc.
PBI Desktop
On-Premises Gateway
Group
OneDrive
On-prem data sources
Analysis Services, SQL Server, etc.
PBI Service
Scheduled refresh/
Live connection/
DirectQuery
Datasets
Reports
Dashboards
Consume
Consumption
by end users

6. Where is the time spent? Gateway Cloud data sources
Azure Analysis Services, SQL Azure, etc.
PBI Desktop
On-Premises Gateway
Group
OneDrive
On-prem data sources
Analysis Services, SQL Server, etc.
PBI Service
Scheduled refresh/
Live connection/
DirectQuery
Datasets
Reports
Dashboards
Consume
Consumption
by end users

7. Where is the time spent? Network latency Cloud data sources
Azure Analysis Services, SQL Azure, etc.
Consume
Scheduled refresh/
Live connection/
DirectQuery
Consumption
by end users
PBI Service
Group
OneDrive
PBI Desktop
Datasets
Reports
Dashboards
Scheduled refresh/
Live connection/
DirectQuery
On-prem data sources
Analysis Services, SQL Server, etc.
On-Premises Gateway

8. Where is the time spent? Power BI Service, Clients Cloud data sources
Azure Analysis Services, SQL Azure, etc.
PBI Desktop
On-Premises Gateway
Group
OneDrive
On-prem data sources
Analysis Services, SQL Server, etc.
PBI Service
Scheduled refresh/
Live connection/
DirectQuery
Datasets
Reports
Dashboards
Consume
Consumption
by end users
Scheduled refresh/
Live connection/
DirectQuery

9. Choosing how Power BI connects to your data
6/3/2018 7:51 PM
Choosing how Power BI connects to your data
© 2014 Microsoft Corporation. All rights reserved. MICROSOFT MAKES NO WARRANTIES, EXPRESS, IMPLIED OR STATUTORY, AS TO THE INFORMATION IN THIS PRESENTATION.

10. Where is the time spent? Data sources (and how they’re connected)
Cloud data sources
Azure Analysis Services, SQL Azure, etc.
PBI Desktop
On-Premises Gateway
Group
OneDrive
On-prem data sources
Analysis Services, SQL Server, etc.
PBI Service
Scheduled refresh/
Live connection/
DirectQuery
Datasets
Reports
Dashboards
Consume
Consumption
by end users

11. Review: How Power BI views your BI data model
Imported Models
Aka Cloud Models
Dataset metadata and data stored in Power BI
External Models
Data stored in external data source
Metadata stored in Power BI
i.e. DirectQuery, Live connection
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12. Key factors to consider when scaling with Power BI
Simple
Moderate
Complex
Model size and
complexity
Data update frequency
Active concurrent users
Number of queries
Query latency
time

13. Cloud Models
Best for:
Small-to-medium models with moderate concurrent usage
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14. Cloud data sources On-prem data sources
SQL Azure, Google Analytics, etc.
Consume
Consumption
by end users
Scheduled refresh
Data is copied to Power BI at regular intervals
PBI Service
PBI Desktop
Datasets
Reports
Dashboards
Dashboard/Reports are updated with latest data at the end of scheduled refresh. Queries are made against the copy of the data in Power BI.
Scheduled refresh
Data is copied to Power BI at regular intervals
On-prem data sources
SQL Server, SAP HANA, etc.
On-Premises Gateway

15. No. of concurrent dashboard/report users
Microsoft Ignite 2016
Cloud Models
6/3/2018 7:51 PM
Target Scenario
Small to medium models with moderate concurrent usage
Query latency
Low
(Same DC)
(In-Memory)
Data freshness
Data updated up to 8 times/day
Data model size limit
1GB
No. of concurrent dashboard/report users
Throttled
© 2016 Microsoft Corporation. All rights reserved. MICROSOFT MAKES NO WARRANTIES, EXPRESS, IMPLIED OR STATUTORY, AS TO THE INFORMATION IN THIS PRESENTATION.

16. Live connection to SSAS
Best for:
Large models
Frequent data updates (>8x day)
High concurrent usage
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17. Live connection to SSAS
Azure Analysis Services
Live connection
Power BI queries Analysis Services to populate visuals
Queries are made against Analysis Services
Consumption
by end users
PBI Service
Group
OneDrive
PBI Desktop
Datasets
Reports
Dashboards
Dashboards are auto-updated every 15m with latest data for fast load.
Analysis Services On-premises
On-Premises Gateway

18. No. of concurrent dashboard/report users
Microsoft Ignite 2016
6/3/2018 7:51 PM
Live connection to SSAS
Target Scenario
Workloads that have one or more of the following characteristics:
Large models
Frequent data updates (<3 hrs)
High concurrent usage
On-Prem
Azure
Query latency
Medium
(Multi-Hop)
(In-Memory)
Low
(Same DC)
Data refreshness
Depends on how Analysis Services configuration
Data model size limit
Limited by data source or Analysis Services model size
No. of concurrent dashboard/report users
Scales with machine configuration
© 2016 Microsoft Corporation. All rights reserved. MICROSOFT MAKES NO WARRANTIES, EXPRESS, IMPLIED OR STATUTORY, AS TO THE INFORMATION IN THIS PRESENTATION.

19. Specific guidance for SSAS
Microsoft Ignite 2016
6/3/2018 7:51 PM
Specific guidance for SSAS
Scale up SSAS instances
RAM >= 2.5 * size(models) for full processing
© 2016 Microsoft Corporation. All rights reserved. MICROSOFT MAKES NO WARRANTIES, EXPRESS, IMPLIED OR STATUTORY, AS TO THE INFORMATION IN THIS PRESENTATION.

20. Specific guidance for SSAS
Microsoft Ignite 2016
6/3/2018 7:51 PM
Specific guidance for SSAS
Scale up SSAS instances
RAM >= 2.5 * size(models) for full processing
Be sure to use SSAS 2016
© 2016 Microsoft Corporation. All rights reserved. MICROSOFT MAKES NO WARRANTIES, EXPRESS, IMPLIED OR STATUTORY, AS TO THE INFORMATION IN THIS PRESENTATION.

21. Specific guidance for SSAS
Microsoft Ignite 2016
6/3/2018 7:51 PM
Specific guidance for SSAS
Scale up SSAS instances
RAM >= 2.5 * size(models) for full processing
Be sure to use SSAS 2016
DAX is being sent by PBI to SSAS 2016 is significantly optimized
Set up performance monitoring
© 2016 Microsoft Corporation. All rights reserved. MICROSOFT MAKES NO WARRANTIES, EXPRESS, IMPLIED OR STATUTORY, AS TO THE INFORMATION IN THIS PRESENTATION.

22. DirectQuery Best for: Workloads that have a near real-time requirement
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23. DirectQuery Azure SQL SQL Server On-premises Consumption by end users
On report view/exploration: queries are made against underlying data source
DirectQuery
Power BI queries data source to populate visuals
Direct Query
PBI Service
Datasets
Reports
Dashboards
PBI Desktop
Every 15m: Dashboards are auto-updated every with latest data for fast load.
SQL Server On-premises
On-Premises Gateway

24. Max active concurrent report users
DirectQuery
Target Scenario
Workloads that have a near real-time requirement
On-Prem
Azure
Query Latency
High
(Multi-Hop)
(DQ)
(Same DC)
Data model size limit
Limited only by data source
Max active concurrent report users
Varies depending on data source limits
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25. General guidance for DirectQuery
Microsoft Ignite 2016
6/3/2018 7:51 PM
General guidance for DirectQuery
Ensure that in Desktop, the performance of refreshing/interacting with visuals is reasonable
Recommended: <5-10s
© 2016 Microsoft Corporation. All rights reserved. MICROSOFT MAKES NO WARRANTIES, EXPRESS, IMPLIED OR STATUTORY, AS TO THE INFORMATION IN THIS PRESENTATION.

26. General guidance for DirectQuery
Microsoft Ignite 2016
6/3/2018 7:51 PM
General guidance for DirectQuery
Ensure that in Desktop, the performance of refreshing/interacting with visuals is reasonable
Recommended: <5-10s
Understand DQ-specific constraints
E.g. no time intelligence, limited to single data source, limited DAX functions, no bi-directional filtering
© 2016 Microsoft Corporation. All rights reserved. MICROSOFT MAKES NO WARRANTIES, EXPRESS, IMPLIED OR STATUTORY, AS TO THE INFORMATION IN THIS PRESENTATION.

27. General guidance for DirectQuery
Microsoft Ignite 2016
6/3/2018 7:51 PM
General guidance for DirectQuery
Ensure that in Desktop, the performance of refreshing/interacting with visuals is reasonable
Recommended: <5-10s
Understand DQ-specific constraints
E.g. no time intelligence, limited to single data source, limited DAX functions, no bi-directional filtering
Understand Data source limitations and load implications
E.g. SQL Data Warehouse has a limit on concurrent queries, based on deployment size
Source:
© 2016 Microsoft Corporation. All rights reserved. MICROSOFT MAKES NO WARRANTIES, EXPRESS, IMPLIED OR STATUTORY, AS TO THE INFORMATION IN THIS PRESENTATION.

28. Summary Import: Live connection to SSAS DirectQuery
Small model size (<1 GB)
Medium concurrency needs
Infrequent data updates (<8x day)
Live connection to SSAS
Medium-to-large model size (>1 GB)
High concurrency needs
More frequent data updates
DirectQuery
Only if you have near-real-time requirement
Be aware of the caveats!

29. Additional Scalability Considerations
Guidelines and data points in the previous table are based on typical usage and may be affected by a number of factors, including:
Query complexity
Row level security
Network latency and/or data center location
Usage patterns (e.g. dashboards vs reports vs interactive filtering)

30. Additional Scalability Considerations
Remember that these factors can be multiplicative
(Many Visuals) X (Frequent Data Updates)
Consumption
by end users
PBI Service
Datasets
Reports
Dashboards
Tile 1
Tile 2
Tile 3
On-premise model
Analysis Services
On-Premises Gateway

31. Additional Scalability Considerations
Remember that these factors can be multiplicative
With RLS: (Many Visuals) X (Frequent Data Updates) X (Number of users)
Consumption
by end users
PBI Service
Datasets
Reports
Dashboards
Tile 1A
Tile 2A
Tile 3A
On-premise model
Tile 1B
Tile 2B
Tile 3B
Tile 1C
Tile 2C
Tile 3C
Analysis Services
On-Premises Gateway

32. 6/3/2018 7:51 PM
Gateways
© 2014 Microsoft Corporation. All rights reserved. MICROSOFT MAKES NO WARRANTIES, EXPRESS, IMPLIED OR STATUTORY, AS TO THE INFORMATION IN THIS PRESENTATION.

33. Gateways Cloud data sources On-prem data sources
Azure Analysis Services, SQL Azure, etc.
Consume
Scheduled refresh/
Live connection/
DirectQuery
Consumption
by end users
PBI Service
Group
OneDrive
PBI Desktop
Datasets
Reports
Dashboards
On-Premises Gateway
Scheduled refresh/
Live connection/
DirectQuery
On-prem data sources
Analysis Services, SQL Server, etc.

34. Gateways
Best Practices
Use the On-premises Data Gateway

35. Gateways Best Practices Use the On-premises Data Gateway
Min system recommendation: 8 GB RAM/8 CPU cores

36. Gateways Best Practices Use the On-premises Data Gateway
Min system recommendation: 8 GB RAM/8 CPU cores, Windows Server 2012 R2
Set up performance monitoring on the gateway

37. Gateways Best Practices Use the On-premises Data Gateway
Min system recommendation: 8 GB RAM/8 CPU cores, Windows Server 2012 R2
Set up performance monitoring on the gateway
Scale up/out as needed

38. Gateways Best Practices Use the On-premises Data Gateway
Min system recommendation: 8 GB RAM/8 CPU cores, Windows Server 2012 R2
Set up performance monitoring on the gateway
Scale up/out as needed
Different gateways for DQ vs. import
On-Premises Gateway DQ
Import
On-Premises Gateway

39. 6/3/2018 7:51 PM
Network Latency
© 2014 Microsoft Corporation. All rights reserved. MICROSOFT MAKES NO WARRANTIES, EXPRESS, IMPLIED OR STATUTORY, AS TO THE INFORMATION IN THIS PRESENTATION.

40. Network Latency Cloud data sources On-prem data sources
Azure Analysis Services, SQL Azure, etc.
Consume
Scheduled refresh/
Live connection/
DirectQuery
Consumption
by end users
PBI Service
Group
OneDrive
PBI Desktop
Datasets
Reports
Dashboards
Scheduled refresh/
Live connection/
DirectQuery
On-prem data sources
Analysis Services, SQL Server, etc.
On-Premises Gateway

41. Network Latency Eastern US Australia Cloud data sources
Azure Analysis Services, SQL Azure, etc.
Consume
Scheduled refresh/
Live connection/
DirectQuery
Consumption
by end users
PBI Service
Group
OneDrive
PBI Desktop
Datasets
Reports
Dashboards
Eastern US
Scheduled refresh/
Live connection/
DirectQuery
On-prem data sources
Analysis Services, SQL Server, etc.
On-Premises Gateway
Australia

42. Network/Client Latency
Best Practices
Use PBI Desktop/Azure Speed Test to gauge query latency

43. Network/Client Latency
Best Practices
Use PBI Desktop/Azure Speed Test to gauge query latency
Make sure data sources, gateway and Power BI region are located as close together as possible

44. Network/Client Latency
Best Practices
Use PBI Desktop/Azure Speed Test to gauge query latency
Make sure data sources, gateway and Power BI region are located as close together as possible
Consider Azure ExpressRoute

45. 6/3/2018 7:51 PM
All-up Guidance
© 2014 Microsoft Corporation. All rights reserved. MICROSOFT MAKES NO WARRANTIES, EXPRESS, IMPLIED OR STATUTORY, AS TO THE INFORMATION IN THIS PRESENTATION.

46. All-up guidance Limit the number of visuals in dashboards/reports
Put custom visuals through their paces
Set and save filters in reports
Limit complicated measures and aggregates in data models
Perform load testing on your backend

47. Additional Resources
Walkthrough: how to set up On-Premises Gateway performance monitoring
Gateway troubleshooting documentation
Gateway Perf counters and logging
Power BI security whitepaper (includes architectural deep-dive)
Power BI governance and deployment whitepaper
SSAS Performance Tuning documentation
DirectQuery documentation
Azure Speed Test

48. Continue your Ignite learning path
6/3/2018 7:51 PM
Continue your Ignite learning path
Visit Channel 9 to access a wide range of Microsoft training and event recordings
Head to the TechNet Eval Centre to download trials of the latest Microsoft products
Visit Microsoft Virtual Academy for free online training visit
© 2014 Microsoft Corporation. All rights reserved. MICROSOFT MAKES NO WARRANTIES, EXPRESS, IMPLIED OR STATUTORY, AS TO THE INFORMATION IN THIS PRESENTATION.

49. 6/3/2018 7:51 PM
Thank you Chat with me in the Speaker Lounge Find me on LinkedIn: sirui-sun
© 2014 Microsoft Corporation. All rights reserved. MICROSOFT MAKES NO WARRANTIES, EXPRESS, IMPLIED OR STATUTORY, AS TO THE INFORMATION IN THIS PRESENTATION.

50. Appendix

51. Query latency w.r.t DQ/live connection