Connecting to SSAS Tabular (Import Data option) in PowerBI

  • Another day, another HUH?!

    If I connect to SSAS Tabular in PowerBI Desktop and select "Connect Live", I can see a "normal" list of tables and measures. All the columns are with the table... as expected. (Well, looks the same as connecting to a data warehouse in SQL Server.) Has the nice:

    TABLE

    Column1

    Column2

    ...

    Measure1

    Measure2

    etc thing going on.

    If I connect using "Import Data", I get one large amorphous mass of columns in the format of

    TableName.ColumnName

    all lumped together, which is pretty hard to read, because I can't hide columns.

    Am I just plain doing something wrong, or is this a "feature" or intentional? If it matters, I'm using SSAS 2016, and this version of PowerBI Desktop: Version: 2.38.4491.282 64-bit (August, 2016)

    In order to reproduce what I saw, follow these steps:

    1. Get Data: Choose SSAS Database.

    2. On the "Import Data" screen, enter the server and database information and then select the Import Data

    3. Select a few columns from the various tables (choose from at least two tables).

    4. In the Fields window, instead of seeing just the table name and then being able to toggle the visibility of the fields, you get ONE huge list of columns in the format of {Table}.{Column}

    Did I make a stupid mistake somewhere? (Entirely possible! I don't usually play with SSAS!) How do I get PowerBI to show the same list of tables and then the columns like I get when I connect to a Data Warehouse and not a Tabular model?

  • I don't have Tabular installed on my laptop, so I can't test right now.

    Is it possible to post some screenshots?

    Need an answer? No, you need a question
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    MCSE Business Intelligence - Microsoft Data Platform MVP

  • Here's a screenshot. Note the lack of individual tables in the field list on the right.

    Every other time, the tables are broken out and then the columns are under them... Usable... kind of, but NOT nice.

    Edit: would help if I uploaded the right screenshot!

  • pietlinden (9/20/2016)


    Here's a screenshot. Note the lack of individual tables in the field list on the right.

    Every other time, the tables are broken out and then the columns are under them... Usable... kind of, but NOT nice.

    Edit: would help if I uploaded the right screenshot!

    This is (for now) by design. When you import data in this way it is a simple dumb piece of code that just gets everything. If you want to used the import data method and you want to have relationships then you have to import what you need as separate tables and then join them using the manage relationships menu. In a way, this is annoying to do this to recreate an entire model would take some time, but on a positive note you can create relationships from custom queries and only import the data that you need.


    I'm on LinkedIn

  • Okay, thanks... That's a great design! Not sure who thought of that, but just wow.

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