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In The Trenches

The Best Articles and Tutorials About Cloud Analytics, BI and Management 

Hi! I’m Paul. I’m a data nerd from the beautiful suburb of Durbanville, Cape Town.
I’m available for short term BI / data engineering projects and Cloud data migrations on Azure, AWS or Google Cloud.

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Business Intelligence and Analytics Blog

We are excited to announce the public preview of generating measure descriptions with Fabric Copilot! This post first appeared at https://powerbi.microsoft.com/en-us/blog/generate-measure-descriptions-with-copilot-preview/. The author is Read More

This post first appeared at https://powerbi.microsoft.com/en-us/blog/generate-measure-descriptions-with-copilot-preview/. The author is 

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The more you monitor something the more likely it is that you’ll see something strange you can’t explain. This is true of several customers I’ve spoken to recently who saw DAX queries run in the middle of the night by people who were definitely not online at the time and who were worried about the […]

This post first appeared at https://blog.crossjoin.co.uk/2024/02/18/query-caching-in-power-bi-premium/. The author is Chris Webb

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As part of our continued tooling improvements, we have enhanced the experience for creating Direct Lake semantic models in Microsoft Fabric. This applies to semantic models created by clicking the New semantic model button from the Lakehouse. This post first appeared at https://powerbi.microsoft.com/en-us/blog/improvements-for-creating-new-direct-lake-semantic-models/. The author is Read More

This post first appeared at https://powerbi.microsoft.com/en-us/blog/improvements-for-creating-new-direct-lake-semantic-models/. The author is 

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Picture yourself navigating through a maze of data, with each turn presenting a new array of numbers and charts. In this scenario, Microsoft Power BI is your reliable flashlight, casting light on the essential details and patterns within this data labyrinth.  Conversely, Microsoft Fabric data analytics is your intuitive GPS. It not only guides you […]

This post first appeared at https://p3adaptive.com/how-do-i-enable-microsoft-fabric-in-power-bi/. The author is Marketing

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The comparison between Microsoft Fabric and Power BI has become a central topic for many professionals in the field of data analytics and data science. Each platform plays a crucial role in shaping business intelligence strategies. While they are often considered alternatives, especially with recent administrative naming changes, they serve different purposes.  From data movement […]

This post first appeared at https://p3adaptive.com/microsoft-fabric-vs-power-bi/. The author is Marketing

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Power BI stands out for its seamless integration with Microsoft products, including SharePoint. But how do you connect Power BI to SharePoint? Can you access all the files and extract data from a SharePoint location? As a leading Power BI consulting service, we created this tutorial to help you integrate Power BI with SharePoint. We’ll […]

This post first appeared at https://p3adaptive.com/how-do-i-connect-power-bi-to-a-sharepoint-folder-and-list/. The author is Marketing

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Consider this—your organization stores valuable data, such as employee information, in a SharePoint list. Now, imagine having the ability to pull this critical data into Power BI, where you can utilize its advanced visualization and analysis capabilities to draw meaningful insights.  At P3 Adaptive, we specialize in Power BI consulting. We have observed how SharePoint […]

This post first appeared at https://p3adaptive.com/sharepoint-and-power-bi/. The author is Marketing

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There’s a new M function in Power Query in Power BI that allows you to read the data from a Parquet file: Parquet.Metadata. It’s not documented yet and it’s currently marked as “intended for internal use only” but I’ve been told I can blog about it. Here’s an example of how to use it: let […]

This post first appeared at https://blog.crossjoin.co.uk/2024/02/11/reading-parquet-metadata-in-power-query-in-power-bi/. The author is Chris Webb

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Microsoft Fabric Data Analytics is now available for users. This platform marks a new dawn in data management, offering an integrated suite of tools designed to simplify and enhance analytics processes. For businesses and individuals alike, understanding how to access and utilize Microsoft Fabric is crucial.  This article delves into its release status, trial features, […]

This post first appeared at https://p3adaptive.com/how-to-get-access-to-microsoft-fabric/. The author is Marketing

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Microsoft Fabric’s development has been significantly influenced by the concept of Data Mesh, a modern approach to data architecture focused on domain-oriented ownership, data as a product, federated computational governance, and self-serve data platforms.  Microsoft Fabric Data Analytics represents a transformative approach to data analytics, integrating a decentralized Data Mesh architecture to enhance organizational data […]

This post first appeared at https://p3adaptive.com/is-microsoft-fabric-a-data-mesh/. The author is Marketing

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Microsoft offers a diverse spectrum of certifications, each tailored to different levels of expertise and various professional roles.  Whether it’s the foundational knowledge of Microsoft 365, the intricate workings of Microsoft Fabric Data Analytics, or the advanced capabilities in Azure, these certifications embody a professional’s commitment to staying abreast of technological advancements and their ability […]

This post first appeared at https://p3adaptive.com/are-microsoft-certifications-still-worth-it/. The author is Marketing

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Survey the field of data management and analysis today, and you’ll notice the pivotal role of Microsoft Fabric Data Analytics.  It has swiftly become a key player, renowned for its ability to simplify complex data challenges with remarkable efficiency and adaptability. As we move forward, its influence across various sectors seems only set to expand. […]

This post first appeared at https://p3adaptive.com/microsoft-fabric-tutorial/. The author is Marketing

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As a Power BI consulting service, we understand that it’s crucial for your analytics process to use accurate data. Reports and dashboards that show the “truth” are what really help in data-driven decision-making. Master Data Management (MDM) is a solution that helps organizations maintain their critical data. In this article, we’ll help you understand its […]

This post first appeared at https://p3adaptive.com/power-bi-master-data-management/. The author is Marketing

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In Power BI, you can create insightful reports and dashboards to meet your data visualization needs. While dashboards allow you to see important metrics at a glance, reports provide more detailed information to help you analyze data. Reports and dashboards are two separate entities. However, you might find people referring to dashboards when they mean […]

This post first appeared at https://p3adaptive.com/power-bi-reports-examples-and-practice-guide/. The author is Marketing

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A dashboard is more than just charts and graphs. It’s the voice of your analytics process, a visual storyteller that translates complex data into actionable insights. Moreover, it facilitates sharing and collaboration around results, empowering businesses to excel in their respective domains. As a leading Power BI consulting service, we at P3 Adaptive have built […]

This post first appeared at https://p3adaptive.com/power-bi-sample-dashboards/. The author is Marketing

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I don’t have anything against the use of calculated columns in Power BI semantic models in general but you do need to be careful using them with DirectQuery mode. In particular when you have a DirectQuery connection to another Power BI semantic model – also known as a composite model on a Power BI semantic […]

This post first appeared at https://blog.crossjoin.co.uk/2024/02/04/performance-implications-of-using-calculated-columns-in-composite-models-on-power-bi-semantic-models/. The author is Chris Webb

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As you may know, Microsoft has an MVP Programme where it acknowledges and rewards community leaders for their subject matter expertise and contribution to the community. There are many benefits of being an MVP including the recognition (leading to people understanding that you must be doing something right if Microsoft […]Read More » This post […]

This post first appeared at https://exceleratorbi.com.au/my-journey-as-microsoft-mvp-is-coming-to-an-end/. The author is Matt Allington

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We are excited to announce that the VNet Data Gateway is now GA! Read the blog to find out more and get started using the VNet Data Gateway to secure your production workloads. This post first appeared at https://powerbi.microsoft.com/en-us/blog/vnet-data-gateway-for-fabric-and-power-bi-is-now-generally-available/. The author is Read More

This post first appeared at https://powerbi.microsoft.com/en-us/blog/vnet-data-gateway-for-fabric-and-power-bi-is-now-generally-available/. The author is 

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Announcing the availability of the partner solution accelerators for embedded analytics This post first appeared at https://powerbi.microsoft.com/en-us/blog/accelerating-embedded-analytics-for-your-application/. The author is Read More

This post first appeared at https://powerbi.microsoft.com/en-us/blog/accelerating-embedded-analytics-for-your-application/. The author is 

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Microsoft Fabric is now HIPAA compliant This post first appeared at https://powerbi.microsoft.com/en-us/blog/microsoft-fabric-is-now-hipaa-compliant/. The author is Read More

This post first appeared at https://powerbi.microsoft.com/en-us/blog/microsoft-fabric-is-now-hipaa-compliant/. The author is 

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